Sarajevo tunnel
The Sarajevo Tunnel was an escape tunnel during the Siege of Sarajevo (1992-1995). It was an underground footpath connection under the runway of Sarajevo Airport between the Bosnian-Croatian part of the Bosnian capital Sarajevo , which was besieged by Serbian forces, and an adjacent suburb that was not besieged. From mid-1993 it served both to escape from and to supply the besieged city.
history
Emergence
The siege of Sarajevo was part of the Bosnian War .
In July 1992 the United Nations ( UNPROFOR ) took control of the airport as a UN protection zone . An agreement was concluded between the United Nations and the Serbs that the airport could only be used for United Nations purposes. A strategically important point for the residents was lost as the airport was located between the city and the unoccupied area. Sarajevo lost the only supply route because Serbian snipers made it impossible to cross the runway .
planning
The difficult living conditions and the dangerous crossing of the airfield gave people the idea of creating an underground connection. At the end of 1992 the idea of building the tunnel was launched and two engineers and two surveyors were found who were responsible for planning the construction. The development of the project was kept secret and a high level of professionalism was required, as the tunnel had to be built directly under the airport. The two exits were in Dobrinja (inside the city) and in Butmir (outside the city). The tunnel was started from these two sides, so the direction determination during the excavation work had to be very precise. The DB communication project was completed and approved in January 1993.
construction
Construction in Dobrinja began on January 18, 1993, but the work was slow. Bad weather, lack of material and personnel, threats from fire and other circumstances made the work difficult. One only worked with the available muscle strength, shovels and picks. With the support of the Bosnian government and its orders to collect tools and hire workers, the work was definitely started on March 28, 1993 with all available means. The outbreak of war with the Croatians made the situation even worse. The tunnel excavations meant Sarajevo's survival and despite all the circumstances the tunnel had to be built.
Work in Butmir began on April 28, 1993 near the Kolar family home. You worked three shifts, 24 hours a day. A very big problem was the groundwater entering . Because the power supply was constantly failing, the water had to be carried out of the tunnel by hand in buckets and canisters . During the work, the installation of the lamps was carried out, which was powered by a small power generator. The excavated soil was carried out of the tunnel with small wheelbarrows and stored near the tunnel exits, thus providing protection from Serbian attacks at the same time.
A total of 2,800 cubic meters of earth was removed and around 170 cubic meters of wood and 45 tons of metal were used. The tunnel was 800 meters long and had an average width of one meter and an average height of 1.5 meters.
use
On the first night the tunnel was completed, twelve tons of military goods were transported into the city and a large group of soldiers left Sarajevo to defend access to the tunnel from outside. The connection between the two entrances consisted of two field telephones. In order to be able to use the tunnel, a permit from the military command responsible for the tunnel was required, which was granted free of charge.
In the beginning everything in the tunnel had to be carried on the back or transported with the hands. Food, cigarettes , oil , ammunition , weapons , medicines, wounded and much more were transported. After the rail connection was completed, small carts were built that made transportation much easier. Each cart carried a weight of 200 to 300 kg. The incoming groundwater and inadequate pumps meant that people often had to walk in knee-deep water. The tunnel was flooded to the ceiling twice, so larger pumps were installed to solve the problem.
The tunnel could only be used in a one-way system. Groups of people between 20 and 1,000 people ran through the tunnel, each carrying around 50 kg of food with them. The travel time for larger groups was up to two hours, with an average of 4,000 people per day using the tunnel. Due to the constant bombardment by the Serbs and the danger posed by the snipers , the material was transported during the night and around 20 tons were transported per night. As there was a lack of fuel in Sarajevo, a pipeline was built into the tunnel. A telephone cable and a 12- megawatt high-voltage cable were also pulled in. After installing the pipeline and cables, using the tunnel was very dangerous. People sometimes had to walk in the tunnel with a power cable on one side and a pipeline on the other during flooding.
assessment
The Sarajevo Tunnel was of vital importance to the city and the Bosniaks. As a military communications link, it made it possible to move troops and materials at the right time. He allowed the transport of food and means of production. The tunnel allowed the government to stay operational and parliament to enter and exit.
museum
Today the Kolar family home is in Butmir ( 43 ° 49 ′ 11.35 " N , 18 ° 20 ′ 14.23" E, ) with the entrance and an original piece of the tunnel 20 meters long a museum. In a room in the basement, objects from the time of the tunnel are shown, in the memorial room there are many recordings from the time the tunnel was built and the time it was used. You can also visit some carts that are equipped as they went through the tube back then. There is also the possibility to watch a documentary and to enter yourself in the guest book.
gallery
Northern tunnel exit
South tunnel entrance, in the background the airport
South tunnel entrance behind this private home. Today there is a small private museum here.
Restored section of the tunnel
Lorry that could move people and materials through the tunnel
Another tunnel shot
documentary
- Michael Möller, Slavica Vlahovic: The Sarajevo Tunnel . Germany 2009. 90 min.
