Dr. Hikmet Karčić, Senior Research Associate at the University of Sarajevo’s Institute for Research of Crimes against Humanity and International Law, participated in two international academic conferences held in Germany and Austria. The conferences addressed the topics of cultures of remembrance, the Srebrenica genocide, and new approaches to the study of the archives of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY).
The first conference, entitled “Responsibility and the Future: European Culture of Remembrance through the Example of Srebrenica” (Verantwortung und Zukunft: Europäische Erinnerungskultur am Beispiel Srebrenica), was held on 24 September 2026 at the Academy for Political Education (Akademie für Politische Bildung) in Tutzing, Germany. The conference was organised in cooperation with the Geschwister Scholl Institute of Political Science at Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (LMU) and was chaired by Severin Furtmayr and Havva Doksar.
The conference brought together prominent scholars, representatives of the European Commission Representation in Germany, and other institutions, including the Srebrenica Memorial Center from Bosnia and Herzegovina. Participants discussed the importance of cultures of remembrance for contemporary democracies and European societies, with a particular focus on the genocide committed in Srebrenica and the surrounding area in 1995. It was emphasised that confronting this crime plays an important role in the development of a European culture of remembrance that extends beyond the study of the Holocaust. The conference programme included introductory presentations, workshops, a panel discussion, and testimonies by Srebrenica survivors.
Dr. Karčić delivered a lecture on the crimes and genocide committed between 1992 and the end of 1995 during the aggression against the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. He spoke about the system of detention camps, mass rape, mass graves, and the siege of Sarajevo, highlighting the importance of documenting these crimes and incorporating Bosnia and Herzegovina’s experiences into broader European discussions on history, responsibility, and remembrance.
The second conference, entitled “New Approaches to the Study of the ICTY Archives: From Technicalities to Social Resonance,” was held on 15 and 16 October 2026 at the University of Graz in the Republic of Austria.
The conference focused on new methodological approaches to studying the archives of the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and on the potential applications of this research in scholarship, education, and the understanding of the societal consequences of war crimes and genocide. The particular significance of such research lies in connecting judicially established facts and archival materials with the broader social context, cultures of remembrance, and the ways in which knowledge of the past is transmitted to future generations.
Dr. Karčić’s participation in these conferences contributes to international academic exchange and promotes research into crimes committed during the aggression against the Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It also underscores the importance of judicial archives and documented facts in the study of genocide and other mass atrocities.
Dr. Karčić’s participation in the conference in Tutzing took place within the framework of cooperation between the Institute and the University of Sarajevo and Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich, through the interdisciplinary research project “Children of the Balkans – Bosnia and Herzegovina.” This collaboration contributes to strengthening international academic networks, advancing the European Research Area, and fostering joint reflection on the history of Bosnia and Herzegovina within a broader European context.
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