Paper short abstract:

This paper examines the practices of reshaping places, memory and identity through war and post-war reconstruction in Sarajevo and Beirut.

Paper long abstract:

Before the war in Bosnia (1992-1995) and the civil war of Lebanon (1975-1990), Sarajevo and Beirut were praised for the harmonious common life of their different ethno-religious communities. War, however, destroyed the urban fabric, led to residential segregation of groups and challenged the idea of a common life. This paper analyzes how war and post-war architectural reconstruction were used to bring forward selected aspects of heritage and collective memory and re-shape the identities and social memories of the two cities. It examines the deliberate targeting of places and sites of common life in the two cities during the war and the attitudes in recreating them through the reconstruction process. Furthermore, it explores the ways in which heritage sites were prioritized in the reconstruction process in order to re-shape spatial and social memories. The paper contrasts the reconstruction practices in Sarajevo, where the reconstruction and new building of religious structures reflect the segregation of the post-war city, with the reconstruction of downtown Beirut, aimed to be a place of common life and healing for all ethno-religious groups, but which created new walls because of social hierarchies. It is based on field research conducted in Sarajevo and Beirut through 2009 with a NGS grant. The analysis of architectural practices, political discourse and ethnographies are at the basis of this endeavour.