Srebrenica (, ) is a town and municipality in eastern Republika Srpska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in the Podrinje region, near the Drina valley. The area has historically been associated with mining, especially silver, lead and zinc, as well as with mineral springs and spa tourism.

During the Bosnian War, Srebrenica became internationally known as the site of the Srebrenica massacre, in which more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were killed in July 1995 after the town was captured by the Army of Republika Srpska. The massacre was later ruled to be an act of genocide by the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia and the International Court of Justice.

According to the 2013 census, the town had 2,607 inhabitants, while the municipality had 13,409 inhabitants. The municipality's population declined sharply from 36,666 in 1991.

Etymology

The name Srebrenica is derived from the South Slavic word srebro, meaning "silver". It refers to the silver deposits and mining activity historically associated with the area. The old Latin name Argentaria had the same meaning.

History

Antiquity

thumb|left|upright|Roman tombstone excavated near [[Sase Monastery]]

The wider Srebrenica area was inhabited in antiquity and was known for its mineral resources. During Roman rule, the mining settlement of Domavia developed near present-day Srebrenica and became one of the most important mining centres in the region. Silver ore from the area was transported along routes connected with the Via Argentaria.

An early Christian church dated to the 6th century has been discovered in the area.

Middle Ages

In the medieval period, Srebrenica was an important mining and trading town. The first known written reference to the name Srebrenica dates from 1376. By that time, the town had become a centre of silver mining and trade in the western Balkans. Merchants from the Republic of Ragusa were active in the town and played an important role in the export of silver through Dubrovnik.

During the 14th and 15th centuries, Srebrenica was contested by regional powers because of its mines and strategic location. It was controlled at different times by the Bosnian Kingdom, the Serbian Despotate, the Kingdom of Hungary and the Ottoman Empire.

Ottoman period

thumb|left|upright|Remains of the medieval fortifications of Srebrenica

Srebrenica came under Ottoman rule in the 15th century. Its economic importance gradually declined compared with the medieval period, although mining and local trade remained important. The Franciscan church of St Nicholas was later converted into the White Mosque, reflecting the town's religious and demographic changes during Ottoman rule.

The nearby region of Osat was briefly affected by the First Serbian Uprising in the early 19th century. Rebel activity spread across parts of the Drina region, but Ottoman authority was restored by 1813.

Austro-Hungarian period

thumb|left|upright|The [[White Mosque (Srebrenica)|White Mosque in 1905]]

thumb|Advertisement for Guber-Quelle mineral water from Srebrenica, marketed by [[Mattoni before 1918]]

After the Congress of Berlin in 1878, Srebrenica came under Austro-Hungarian administration, together with the rest of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The period brought new administrative structures, roads, schools, postal services and other modern infrastructure.

The mineral springs of Crni Guber became an important part of the local economy. The Bohemian company Mattoni developed infrastructure for bottling and exporting the water, marketed as Guber-Quelle.

During the First World War, eastern Bosnia and the Drina region were affected by fighting between Austro-Hungarian and Serbian forces. After the war, Bosnia and Herzegovina became part of the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes, later renamed Yugoslavia.

Second World War and socialist Yugoslavia

During the Second World War, the Srebrenica area was affected by violence and fighting involving occupying Axis forces, the Ustaše, Chetniks and Yugoslav Partisans. After the war, Srebrenica became part of the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina within socialist Yugoslavia.

In the Yugoslav period, mining, industry and spa tourism were important parts of the local economy. The Banja Guber spa was developed around the area's mineral springs. Before the 1990s, the spa recorded tens of thousands of overnight stays annually and generated significant income for the municipality.

Bosnian War

thumb|[[Srebrenica Genocide Memorial]]

During the Bosnian War, Srebrenica became a Bosniak-held enclave in eastern Bosnia, surrounded by Bosnian Serb forces. The town received large numbers of refugees from nearby villages and municipalities in the Drina valley. In April 1993, the United Nations declared Srebrenica a UN safe area, to be protected by UNPROFOR.

In July 1995, forces of the Army of Republika Srpska, commanded by Ratko Mladić, captured the enclave. In the days that followed, more than 8,000 Bosniak men and boys were killed in organised executions, while women, children and elderly people were separated and expelled from the area.

The International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia ruled in the Krstić case that the massacre constituted genocide, a finding later upheld by the International Court of Justice. In 2004, the government of Republika Srpska acknowledged responsibility for the massacre and apologised to the victims' families.

Under the Dayton Agreement, Srebrenica became part of Republika Srpska, one of the two entities of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Post-war period

After the war, Srebrenica experienced major demographic, economic and social changes. Many displaced people returned, but the municipality's population remained much smaller than before the war. Religious buildings destroyed during the war, including mosques, were gradually reconstructed.

The local economy has struggled with unemployment, depopulation and the slow recovery of pre-war industries. Plans to revive the mineral-water and spa sector, especially the Banja Guber complex, have repeatedly been delayed.

Politics

In 2007, the Srebrenica municipal assembly adopted a resolution calling for a special status for the municipality outside Republika Srpska but within Bosnia and Herzegovina. Serb representatives did not support the resolution.

Mladen Grujičić was elected mayor in 2016 and re-elected in 2020. In the 2024 local elections, Miloš Vučić was elected mayor of Srebrenica.

  • Brežani
  • Crvica
  • Donji Potočari
  • Gornji Potočari
  • Gostilj
  • Kostolomci
  • Brezova Njiva
  • Krnići
  • Luka
  • Orahovica
  • Osatica
  • Podravanje
  • Radoševići
  • Ratkovići
  • Sase
  • Skelani
  • Skenderovići
  • Srebrenica
  • Sućeska
  • Toplica
  • Viogor

Demographics

According to the 2013 census, Srebrenica municipality had 13,409 inhabitants, down from 36,666 in 1991.

{| class="wikitable sortable"

+ Ethnic composition of Srebrenica municipality

! Ethnic group

! 1961