The Society for the Protection of Cultural Historical and Natural Treasures of Jajce

The Society for the Protection of Cultural Historical and Natural Treasures of Jajce is one of the numerous non-governmental organizations in Bosnia and Herzegovina . It was founded in Octobar , 2000 in order to mobilize the citizens of the town of Jajce as well as all those interested in the protection of the rich heritage of this region. The members of the Society are primarily the citizens of this town, all those who cherish its rich cultural heritage and its beautiful scenery, but many enthusiasts both from our country and from abroad, who admire the beauty of this once residential town of the Bosnian rulers, keep joining it. According to the Statute of the Society, everybody can become its member provided the applicant expresses the willingness to join the Society or to participate in the activities on the realization of the programme goals in any way .

The fundamental issues of the Society are laid down in its Statue and the operational plan, the most important being the following:

1. Initiating, organizing and implementing the planned measures and activities on the protection, sanation and conservation of the cultural and historical monuments and the natural rarities of Jajce.

2. Education of the members of the Society, citizens of Jajce in general and young people in particular through the mass media, round tables, seminars, special exhibitions and other public activities aimed at promoting the respect and constant concern for the cultural and natural heritage.

3. Making plans and reports, issuing publications and other media forms related to the historical monuments and natural beauties of Jajce and its surroundings, as well as presenting them to the public. The Society is open to all aspects of cooperation with the organizations and institutions, the sphere of activities of which is establishing the civil society in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

4. Continuation of the activities on the inscription of the natural and urban unit of Jajce into the UNESCO World Heritage List that started in 1979.

THE CULTURAL HERITAGE AND THE NATURAL

RESOURCES

The modern town of Jajce is located in the central part of Bosnia and Herzegovina on the banks of two rivers – the Pliva and the Vrbas .That is the place where a Bosnian nobleman – the Duke of Split, Hrvoje Vukčić Hrvatinić - founded a fortified town at the end of 14^th c. A.D. and gave it the name of Jajce. The town was built at the mouth of the River Pliva, where it plunges into the River Vrbas in its last and the most maginificent cascade, a breathtaking waterfall. According to the evaluation and categorization made before the war, the urban unit of Jajce was placed under the highest level of protection which means the conservation of the cultural heritage in its original state. Out of the 22 monuments encompassed, 10 of them were to be treated as monuments of the highest category. Thus the part of the world heritage to be found in Jajce belongs to the sites of the world-wide importance. Chronologically, at least according to what has been known so far, the birth of the cultural heritage of Jajce can be traced back milleniums ago (the oldest momument - The Temple of the God Mitras was built in 4^th c. A.D.). The medieval monuments are both the most numerous and the most monumental, the most impressive being St. Lucas’ Belfry together with St. Maria’s Church. In their vicinity there are the Bear Tower and an underground church (the so-called ’Catacombs’) the medieval fortress with its walls and fortifications is conserved in its orginal state.

Two great empires - The Turkish Empire and the Austro – Hungarian Empire, that ruled over this town from 1528 to 1918 have left their mark on the way of life and the architectural style so that many buildings of cultural and historical significance which originate from that period are well preserved.

During World War II, Jajce was the site of important political events. It was in the building of the former Sokol House in Jajce, on November 29^th 1943 that the Second Session of the Antifascist Council of People’s Liberation of Yugoslavia (AVNOJ) was held. At this session crucial historial resolusions were passed and legal foundations of the socialist Yugoslavia were established.

To visit Jajce means to visit a town-museum, the heart of Bosnia where one can feel the heartbeats of the old medieval state. It se the place where the East and the West, the North and the South of Bosnia meet. Jajce gives delight to the lovers of the unspoilt natural beauties and to the admirers of the long cultural tradition.

CONTACT

[Anfangsseite]