Sarajevo City Hall (Vijećnica)

The first design was made in 1891 by the Czech architect Karel Pařík, but after criticism from the governor Benjámin Kállay, he ended the project. The building was then built as a town hall in 1892-1894 according to plans by the Austrian architect Alexander Wittek. It is considered to be one of the most important examples of the so-called pseudo-Moorish style. The Austro-Hungarian Archduke and heir to the throne Franz Ferdinand visited the Sarajevo City Hall on June 28, 1914 between the first attempted assassination attempt, which failed, and the second, fatal assassination attempt. The building has been used as a national and university library since 1947.

The Habsburgs had the Old Town Hall built three years after taking power, hoping to win the sympathy of the population, but initially achieved the opposite. Because in order to make room for the town hall, they had the so-called small Carsija demolished. It is one of the most magnificent and well-known buildings in Sarajevo.

Unfortunately, the library was almost completely burned down during the war in the early 1990s after it was attacked with phosphorus bombs. As a result, many unique items were irretrievably lost.