From 2 April, you can visit the exhibition Traces of war, faces of hope, by Italian photographer Mario Boccia, in the foyer of the Brantijser. His photographs of Sarajevo in the mid-1990s create an image of a city under threat, with buildings reduced to rubble but also show the hope and creativity of its inhabitants.

Marnix Beyen: "Bosnia-Herzegovina holds a special place in the history program of the University of Antwerp. This year, for the fourth time already, we are going on a trip there with a group of master's students, specifically from 19 to 26 April 2025. There, together with Bosnian colleagues and students, we explore a country where diverse political and cultural traditions merge, but which has also suffered heavily from the confrontation between these traditions. This happened most dramatically during the Bosnian war and genocide of 1990, of which Bosnian Muslims - the so-called Bosniaks - were the main victims. It is now thirty years ago that more than 8.000 men near Srebrenica were murdered; the siege of Sarajevo officially came to an end only in February 1996. For almost four years, Bosnian Serb snipers had held the population of the Bosnian capital under fire from the surrounding hills. Italian photographer Mario Boccia captured penetrating images of this badly ravaged but also surprisingly resilient city. This exhibition aims not only to recall the suffering caused by genocidal violence, but also to pay tribute to people who show great inventiveness and will to live in such tragic circumstances."

​

From 1989 to 2011, Mario Boccia worked mainly in war zones and places of social inequality in the Balkans, Africa, Central America and the Middle East. He was a correspondent for the newspaper ‘il Manifesto’ from Sarajevo, Belgrade, Pristina, Skopje, Dyarbakir and Baghdad.
He never considered himself a ‘war photojournalist’, but identified more with the words of Sarajevo mayor Benjamina Karić, who gave him a gold medal ‘for photographing life and not just war’.

When? From 2 April to 1 October 2025
Opening hours: Monday to Friday 9:00 - 18:00
Where? The foyer of the Brantijser (building S.SJ), Sint-Jacobsmarkt 13 - 2000 Antwerp

We welcome you to the grand opening of the exhibition in the presence of the photographer on 2 April 2025 at 5.30pm in the foyer of the Brantijser.
Register below to secure a place.

Thanks to your donation, we make the trip accessible to all students.

Having all master's students experience a multi-day study trip abroad as part of their curriculum - this is what the history programme at the University of Antwerp has been committing to for several years now. Bosnia-Herzegovina is one of the destinations. To make this trip affordable to all students, we have set up a fund. 

How can you support?
You can make a donation to the University Fund account (BE42 7310 4624 7854) to help fund these study tours. To do so, use the notice ‘study trip history-tax certificate’. Donations of 40 euros or more are tax deductible.

On behalf of all students, we sincerely thank you for your kind gesture!