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SocietyBosnia and Herzegovina

Baljvine, a united village amid war and climate strain

Veit-Ulrich Braun
December 8, 2025

Thirty years ago, the Srebrenica massacre shook Europe. But in the midst of the war, the village of Baljvine stood out with Serbs and Muslims preventing violence. To this day, they continue to work together despite pressure from climate change and shortages.

https://p.dw.com/p/54XlV

Baljvine, a village in Bosnia-Herzegovina's Republika Srpska, is home to the only mosque to survive the Bosnian war intact. While 100,000 died elsewhere, Serbs and Bosnians here lived in peace, united by mutual respect and a shared struggles.

Today, however, climate change and drought threaten the village's future as residents leave due to the lack of running water.

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