Status of monument -> National monument
Published in the Official Gazette of BiH, no. 43/08.
Pursuant to Article V para. 4 Annex 8 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina and Article 39 para. 1 of the Rules of Procedure of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments, at a session held from 11 to 18 September 2007 the Commission adopted a
D E C I S I O N
I
The historic building of the former convent and school of the Sisters of Mercy in Travnik is hereby designated as a National Monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina (hereinafter: the National Monument).
The National Monument is located on a site designated as cadastral plot no 1674/1 (new survey), corresponding to c.p. no. 2/444 (old survey), Land Register entry no. 41 „E“, cadastral municipality Travnik, Travnik Municipality, Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The provisions relating to protection measures set forth by the Law on the Implementation of the Decisions of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments, established pursuant to Annex 8 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina (Official Gazette of the Federation of BiH nos. 2/02, 27/02, 6/04 and 51/07) shall apply to the National Monument.
II
The Government of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (hereinafter: the Government of the Federation) shall be responsible for providing the legal, scientific, technical, administrative and financial measures necessary for the protection, conservation, restoration and presentation of the National Monument.
The Commission to Preserve National Monuments (hereinafter: the Commission) shall determine the technical requirements and secure the funds for preparing and setting up signboards with the basic data on the monument and the Decision to proclaim the property a National Monument.
III
To ensure the on-going protection of the National Monument on the area defined in Clause 1 para. 2 of this Decision, the following measures are hereby stipulated
- conservation and restoration works on the property, including works designed to display the monument, setting the site in order, and infrastructure works may be permitted, subject to the approval of the Federal Ministry responsible for regional planning (hereinafter: the relevant ministry) and under the expert supervision of the heritage protection authority of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (hereinafter: the heritage protection authority),
- interior reconstruction works shall be permitted provided that they are not detrimental to the value as a monument of the complex, and the property shall be restored to its original use, subject to the approval of the relevant ministry and under the expert supervision of the heritage protection authority,
- during interior reconstruction works the layout of the south wing of the ground floor may be altered to restore it to its original layout of a row of classrooms, and the north wing should be restored to its use as a chapel. On the first floor, provision should be made to restore the boarding school premises,
- the service installations should be adapted to the new use of the property,
- during structural repairs, conservation and restoration works, original materials and binders shall be used wherever possible.
IV
All executive and area development planning acts not in accordance with the provisions of this Decision are hereby revoked.
V
Everyone, and in particular the competent authorities of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, the Canton, and urban and municipal authorities, shall refrain from any action that might damage the National Monument or jeopardize the preservation and rehabilitation thereof.
VI
The Government of the Federation, the Federal Ministry responsible for regional planning, the Federation heritage protection authority, and the Municipal Authorities in charge of urban planning and land registry affairs, shall be notified of this Decision in order to carry out the measures stipulated in Articles II to V of this Decision, and the Authorized Municipal Court shall be notified for the purposes of registration in the Land Register.
VII
The elucidation and accompanying documentation form an integral part of this Decision, which may be viewed by interested parties on the premises or by accessing the website of the Commission (http://www.aneks8komisija.com.ba)
VIII
Pursuant to Art. V para 4 Annex 8 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, decisions of the Commission are final.
IX
This Decision shall enter into force on the date of its adoption and shall be published in the Official Gazette of BiH.
This Decision has been adopted by the following members of the Commission: Zeynep Ahunbay, Amra Hadžimuhamedović, Dubravko Lovrenović, Ljiljana Ševo and Tina Wik.
No:02-2-281/04-14
30 January 2008
Sarajevo
Chair of the Commission
Amra Hadžimuhamedović
E l u c i d a t i o n
I – INTRODUCTION
Pursuant to Article 2, paragraph 1 of the Law on the Implementation of the Decisions of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments, established pursuant to Annex 8 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina, a “National Monument” is an item of public property proclaimed by the Commission to Preserve National Monuments to be a National Monument pursuant to Articles V and VI of Annex 8 of the General Framework Agreement for Peace in Bosnia and Herzegovina and property entered on the Provisional List of National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina (Official Gazette of BiH no. 33/02) until the Commission reaches a final decision on its status, as to which there is no time limit and regardless of whether a petition for the property in question has been submitted or not.
On 1 December 2004 the Regional Museum of Travnik submitted to the Commission to Preserve National Monuments a proposal for the designation of the former convent and school of the Sisters of Mercy in Travnik as a national monument of BiH.
Pursuant to this proposal, the Commission proceeded to carry out the procedure for reaching a final decision to designate the Property as a National Monument, pursuant to Article V para. 4 of Annex 8 and Article 35 of the Rules of Procedure of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments.
II – PROCEDURE PRIOR TO DECISION
In the procedure preceding the adoption of a final decision to proclaim the property a national monument, the following documentation was inspected:
- Data on the current condition and use of the property, including a description and photographs, data of war damage, data on restoration or other works on the property, etc;
- The current condition of the property;
- Copy of cadastral plan;
- Historical, architectural and other documentary material on the property, as set out in the bibliography forming part of this Decision.
The findings based on the review of the above documentation and the condition of the property are as follows:
1. Details of the property
Location
The town of Travnik is in the river Lašva valley, which is about 500 m wide. This part of the river valley is enclosed to the south by the steep flanks of Mt. Vlašić and to the south by the slopes of Radalje and Vilenice.
The former convent and school of the Sisters of Mercy is in the centre of the town, to the north of the river Lašva. Its east front faces onto Lukačka street, which links it to one side with the Čaršija and to the opposite, south side with the bridge over the Lašva. The bridge then leads to the Jesuit grammar school, which is to the north-west of the former convent and school of the Sisters of Mercy. The Jesuit grammar school, on the other side of the river Lašva, is about 110 m away as the crow flies.
On the opposite, east side of Lukačka street are residential properties while further on, to the north on the same side of the street, is the Lukačka mosque.
The property is bounded to the north by the Social Work Centre and nursery school. To the south it is bounded by the road and the river Lašva.
Across the river Lašva to the south is the Music School and the complex of the Orthodox church with its cemetery and residential property. Access to this urban ensemble, about 60 m away as the crow flies, is directly via the same bridge as the one leading to the Jesuit grammar school.
Historical information
The area in which the town of Travnik is located is in the basin of the upper course of the river Bosna. Here, in this wider area between Mts. Treskavica, Bjelašnica, Bitovnja, Vranica and Vlašić, in the direction of the Neretva and Vrbas rivers, recognizable and well-organized social communities have taken shape at every known civilizational period(1).
During the Ottoman period, the town of Travnik began to acquire its present-day urban physiognomy, and the built heritage of this period is extremely rich. Mosques, hans (caravanserais), hammams, houses, roads, bridges, schools and public fountains were built, and mahalas or residential quarters were founded.
After the ravages caused by Eugene of Savoy in Sarajevo in the 17th century, the Bosnian vizier, Defterdar Halil-pasha Ćoso, transferred the vizier’s seat to Travnik. With just two short breaks, Travnik was to remain the capital of the governors of Bosnia until 1850, when Sarajevo again became the capital at a time when Bosnia was divided into six sanjaks by Osman-pasha Latas(2).
In the early 19th century Travnik became a major diplomatic centre. First France, in 1806, and then Austria in 1807, opened consulates in Travnik.
It was in such an atmosphere that Travnik found itself in 1878 at the start of the Austro-Hungarian period, when major changes took place to the urban fabric – changes that were to have far-reaching consequences.
Travnik was linked by rail to other parts of the Monarchy. A hydro power plant was built that would to some extent address the town’s need for electricity. Industrial plants were set up, such as the tobacco factory (1893), and the Ugar timber factory in Turbe (1912). New residential properties in the European style were built along the main street, and parks and promenades were laid out. Public edifices such as the Vlašić Hotel (later housing the directorate of SP Borac), the Post Office (later housing the Commercial Bank), the county offices (present-day Municipal Court), the Croatian Bank, the Officers’ Club, the hospital, the railway station, a medresa and the convent were also built. Educational establishments were also built in 1880 – the primary school, Jesuit grammar school and primary school of the Sisters of Mercy(3).
The Jesuit grammar school was established in 1882 by the Archbishopric of Vrhbosna, and the building was completed in 1888.
In 1878, before the Jesuit grammar school was founded, the boys’ primary school was established in Travnik. Later, in 1880, the Sisters of Mercy school was established(4). There are documents from this period providing evidence of direct support from the Provincial Government for the Sisters of Mercy school. On 24 August 1882 the Provincial Government provided a subsidy for the school of 400 Hungarian gulden(5).
It is known that the school fees in this school were 12 florins/forints a month, while boarding school pupils were required to bring their own bedding, underwear and at least four sets of outerwear(6).
Somewhat later, in 1884, the Sisters of Mercy school expanded to include the girls’ high school(7). From that time on, the convent of the Sisters of Mercy housed the primary school, grammar school and girls’ high school(8).
The girls’ high school operated under the auspices of the convent of the Sisters of Mercy and was a public school(9).
The curriculum was based on that of middle secondary schools. The first two grades (5th and 6th forms) were a continuation of primary school. In the other grades, the subjects studied were mainly practical ones designed for women, such as domestic science and gardening, laundry, sewing and cooking. Violin and piano were optional subjects.
The Provincial Government approved the curriculum, inspected the work of the institution, and issued teachers’ permits. The language medium was Croato-Serbian or Serbo-Croatian; German was also taught. The textbooks used were mainly from Croatia, specifically from Zagreb.
There were few pupils, so that the teachers, of whom there were seven to nine, were usually also hired to teach in the primary school as well.
The total number of pupils from 1902 to 1916 was 568. In the 1902/03 academic year 24 pupils enrolled in the girls’ high school; in 1915/16, there were 48 pupils.
These were mainly Catholic children from Travnik, though some were of other religions(10).
The school was funded by the school fees and other resources of its own and occasional state subsidies(11).
The present building was entered in the Travnik Land Register in 1893(12).
According to the numbers of pupils enrolled for the academic year 1931/32, the Sisters of Mercy primary school in Travnik enrolled 125 girls and 102 boys(13).
As long as the building was used as a school, the classes were held on the ground floor and the boarders were housed on the first floor(14).
Within the complex, the north wing was reserved for a chapel used by the Catholic boarders and the nuns. The chapel may be recognized by the apse at the west end. It is not currently in use as a chapel but has also been converted for residential use.
The school and convent of the Sisters of Mercy in Travnik continued operating without a break as an educational institution from its foundation in 1880(15) to the end of World War II.
Interestingly, the Sisters of Mercy managed to purchase a sizeable complex of agricultural land near the town, on a hill by the right bank of the Lašva, so that they had their own farm, which they ran themselves(16).
After World War II, the educational institution continued in operation until 1947, but only as a school – the nuns were forced to live elsewhere, and the boarding accommodation was abolished. The authorities finally banned the school from operating in 1947. The building was used solely for residential purposes from then on, and the institution of the convent of the Sisters of Mercy in Travnik soon officially lost the property.
In 1959 the property was nationalized and confiscated from the owner, the institution of the convent of the Sisters of Mercy in Travnik(17).
This gave rise to the entirely different housing needs of the occupants, and that same year an extra storey was built on and a new roof laid. The flats in the new second floor were occupied by the families of JNA (Yugoslav National Army) officer-bandsmen(18).
Ever since then the entire usable area of the building has been used for residential purposes, including the former chapel to the north.
Another item of interest concerning this building is to do with the musical history of ex Yugoslavia in the second half of the 20th century. The famous musician and singer Seid Memić Vajta lived here, and held his first musical rehearsal in the building with his newly-founded music group Teška industrija (Heavy Industry)(19).
After World War II, the access road was renamed Omladinska (Youth) street. After the recent war in BiH the name was again changed, back to its original name of Lukačka street after the Luka mahala.
Until the 1980s the original wall separating the narrow eastern access courtyard of the building from Lukačka street still stood. Judging from a photograph taken in the 1980s, the wall was undamaged at that time, and was evidently demolished after the photograph was taken.(20)
During the 1992-95 war in BiH, the building suffered no particular damage or alterations, except that during one of the bouts of shelling Travnik, several secondary explosive devices fell on the roof of the building, none of which exploded.
After this war, too, the building continued in use for residential purposes, with the north-eastern part of the attic space also being occupied. This was to be very damaging for the building, since it was in this attic space that a fire broke out in November 2004, destroying much of the usable residential space and leaving the tenants and the structure of the building in a difficult position.
Now, in 2007, the building is occupied mainly by disabled tenants and pensioners, who are at risk because of the critical structural and general condition of the building.
2. Description of the property
The former convent and school of the Sisters of Mercy in Travnik is polygonal in plan. The property, house and grounds are on a plot with a total area of 1345 sq.m. The title deed notes that the property is in sole social ownership, with two-thirds of the building owned by Travnik Municipal Assembly and one-third by the Army of BiH.
The building has four storeys – ground floor, first and second floors, and attic, most of which could be used for residential purposes. There is also a semi-basement below the ground floor.
The main entrance façade is the east side of the building, facing Lukačka street, with a length of 24.10 metres. The south side of the building is 24.80 m in length and faces the road with the river Lašva beyond. The opposite, north side, facing the Travnik Čaršija, is about 21.00 metres long, with an apse at the west end, about 3.00 metres in length.
There is a narrow inner courtyard, about 3.00 m wide, between the south and north wings of the property.
In the early 21st century the north-east end of the north wing was turned into an improvised flat, and it is evidently there that the fire broke out that damaged the building so badly in 2004. The north outside wall has an extra window on the east side, pierced by the tenants who moved into the flat.
The rest of the property is used as an attic, while on the west side of the south wing, now inaccessible because of the serious damage to the attic, there was formerly an improvised pigeon cote for rearing domestic pigeons.
As regards access from the outside, the main central entrance is on the east side of the property. Four entrance steps lead from the main access road, Lukačka street, to this entrance.
To the north is an improvised wooden structure with a porch, leading into one of the ground floor flats.
There is another masonry extension to the ground floor in the inner courtyard between the north and south wings. This extension is about 2.00 m wide and has a pent roof. It was built onto the south side of the north wing, which was formerly used as a chapel, and leads into the chapel and probably, during the second half of the 20th century, also led into the residential part of the ground floor. It is no longer in use.
Inside, a feature of the property is the spiral wooden staircase between the south and north wings, facing the inner courtyard. This staircase is linked via a high corridor to the main entrance to the east.
The main corridor, running east-west, is intersected at right-angles at the spiral staircase by a secondary corridor running north-south, leading to the residential premises to the north of the property. On the other side, the same corridor leads to the south wing, where a tertiary corridor joins the secondary corridor. This tertiary corridor also runs east-west, and on the first and second floors provides access to the flats and to the shared toilet block on the first floor, while on the ground floor it is intersected by an entrance door leading into the premises converted into a private storeroom.
Of particular interest are the surviving original floors of the corridors on the ground and first floors, consisting of ceramic tiles measuring approx. 15 x 15 cm in white and terracotta red, laid to form concentric square or rectangular patterns.
The surviving tiles reveal a much more important fact. The ground and first floors are original, built in 1880. The second floor has no such tiled flooring, but a wooden floor modelled on the original spiral staircase.
This is further evidence that the second floor of this building is a later extension, built in 1959 when the property was nationalized and confiscated from the owner, the institution of the Sisters of Mercy.
In this context, another interesting feature is the materials used for the outside structural walls of the property. The ground and first floors are built of tufa, whereas the second floor is entirely built of good-quality brick. The exception, on the ground and first floors, are places where damage has been made good by filling the tufa with brick, for example the north outside wall of the south wing, as seen from the inner courtyard.
The first eighty centimetres or so, as seen from the east entrance side, are of solid stone. Above this the walls continue with a thickness of 80 cm, consisting of tufa. This accounts for the structure of the ground and first floor. The second floor is built of brick. The ceiling joists are timber, over which a flooring of wood or ceramic tiles has been laid. These joists rest on the load-bearing walls at each storey.(21)
The load-bearing inside and outside walls rest on solid footings, presumably of stone.(22)
Level with the wooden ceilings, the property is seismically reinforced by iron bars fitted into the façade walls at each storey and each corner.(23)
The attic structure is of timber, with structural posts, beams and rafters forming a gabled roof. This roof follows the polygonal plan of the building and is clad with tiles. The fire of 2004 largely destroyed the timber roof frame and tiles.
As regards ceiling height, the original storeys are about 375 cm high, while the later addition of the second floor has rather lower ceilings, at 280 cm.
The floor structure between the storeys is about 50 cm thick, and was made using good-quality wooden structural beams. The floors are finished with planed wood, except for the ground- and first-floor corridors.
The outside walls are 80 cm thick, providing good insulation without the need for special insulation layers.
The semi-basement rises about 80 cm above ground level at the eastern, entrance area of the property.
The ceiling height in the attic space is about 320 cm, and this attic space is accessible in its entirety.
The main east façade of the property is fully symmetrical, with a central entrance portal some 80 cm above ground level. Both wings of this façade have three windows, in three rows. There are another two windows on the first and second floor above the central portal. The windows and portal are surrounded on three sides by light beige bands composed of mortar, about 40 cm wide and 3 cm thick.
The façade surface is bisected by horizontal string courses of the same form and colour between the ground and first floor, the first and second floor, and the second floor and attic.
The lower part of the building is of solid white stone, and here there are basement windows, set directly below the windows above.
To the right of the entrance portal is a metal plate mounted by UNESCO and the Regional Museum in Travnik, inscribed with basic information about the property in English, such as the year it was built and its use. The year it was built is given as 1882.
The overall height from ground level on the east side to the eaves is approx. 12.00 m.
The south façade of the property faces the river Lašva. The ground outside the south façade slopes gently to the east, so that the height at the east end of the south façade is the same as that of the east façade at approx. 12.00 m to the eaves of the gabled roof, but is approx. 40 cm less at the west end of the south façade, because of the fall of the ground.
In terms of composition, the south façade is treated in the same way as the east façade. It is strictly symmetrical, with three rows of six windows each. These windows are also surrounded on three sides by a band of light beige plaster approx. 40 cm wide and 3 cm thick.
The façade surface is bisected by horizontal string courses of the same form and colour between the ground and first floor, the first and second floor, and the second floor and attic.
The lower part of the building is of solid white stone, and here there are basement windows, set directly below the windows above.
The three windows at the east end of the south façade have been walled up and clad with the same colour as the bands around the windows. A band 40 cm wide has been left around these bricked-up windows, so that the position of the windows is clearly visible.
The two lintels on the first floor of the west wing of the south façade have also been bricked up.
The west façade is a side façade, and is complex and asymmetrical. It consists of a south and a north section, between which is an inner courtyard.
The south section is an asymmetrical surface with a gabled roof without pronounced eaves. The north section of this gabled roof is longer than the south section.
This part of the façade has three rows each of three windows, two to the left and one to the right.
The windows of the semi-basement are set directly below these windows, but the lie of the land means that on the right-hand side they are at the same height in relation to the ground level as on the south façade while on the left-hand side they are higher in relation to the ground level, because of the fall of the ground.
There is one more window in the attic in the axis of the roof ridge.
This façade lacks the typical horizontal bands, and is more austere in design, while the bands surrounding the window openings are less clearly differentiated in colour.
The same is true of the part of the façade in the inner courtyard, where there are windows facing the inner staircase, as well as the windows of the flats facing onto this courtyard. The façade of the inner courtyard is damaged, and it is here that the structural stone of the ground and first floor and the brick of the second floor can be most clearly seen.
The north section of the west façade is characterized by its apsidal end with symmetrically placed windows, three rows each of two windows. The apsidal end is about 50 cm lower than the main north section of the west façade, which has a gabled roof. There is an extension with a sheet-metal-clad pent roof abutting onto the north section in the inner courtyard, with one ground floor window facing west.
The north façade of the building consists of two sections. The first is the east section, where the ridge of the gabled roof is at right angles to the façade.
The west section of the north façade runs parallel with the ridge of the gabled roof, over the former chapel. The extreme west end is apsidal, and rather lower.
The east section of the north façade has two windows to the right, one on the first and one on the second floor. Below them, on the ground floor, is a timber extension with a sheet-metal-clad pent roof.
The attic has a window in the axis of the ridge. To the east of this window is a rather lower one, pierced by the tenants of the attic.
The west section of the north façade has three rows of three windows each, on the ground, first and second floors.
The windows of the north façade are surrounded by bands on three sides. The horizontal bands of the east façade do not extend round to the north façade.
All the façades have been rendered with lime cement mortar and then painted. This final coat is in very poor condition, partly from exposure to the elements and lack of maintenance, and partly as a result of the fire.
The original exterior woodwork has largely survived. The wooden windows with lintels measure 115 x 180 cm overall. The same is true of the main entrance portal to the east, measuring 300 x 150 cm overall.
When the building was extended in 1959 the builders adopted the same shape of exterior woodwork for the windows on the second floor; the attic has the remains of the wooden roof windows that were burned in the fire.
The original interior layout has been radically altered during the decades of residential occupancy. The original premises have survived, however, in the central part of the first floor on the side of the ground-floor entrance portal. This was without doubt the sisters’ cells in the boarding school premises. The premises have one entrance from the interior corridor and one window. These premises provide an idea of the original layout on this floor.
Everything else has been converted to suit the tenants of the residential quarters. On the ground floor, the south and north wings have been partitioned, and there is an entrance in north façade leading into the residential quarters through a wooden porch extension.
Similar changes have been made on the first floor, while the walls between the former dormitories have been knocked through to make larger flats. Some tenants have added partition walls, and some have improvised water and electrical installations for their flats.
As regards such facilities, the shared bathroom and toilet block on the first floor is still in use. An interesting feature of the electric wiring is the original electric cable, no longer in use, on the ground floor ceiling by the spiral staircase, evidence that the building was originally wired for electricity.
As regards the layout of the second extension floor, the builders followed the basic structural system and layout, but treated the interior of the flats differently. The basic materials used were brick and reinforced concrete.
The interior finish of the walls, whether on the ground and first floor or the second floor, was a classic plaster skimming over the stone and brick walls, which was then painted white.
The interior woodwork has not survived for the most part, and was obviously replaced when the building was in use in the second half of the 20th century.
The narrow outer courtyard facing east, onto the access road – Lukačka street – was originally separated from the street by a solid wall, broken in the middle by an entrance gateway opposite the main east entrance.
This wall consisted of a parapet about 50 cm in height and uprights about 2.00 m in height and 40 x 40 cm in section, with an infill between the uprights.
This boundary wall was 4.50 m from the building, the distance at which Lukačka street now lies. The original part of the wall to the north-east of the building survives, at the same distance of 4.50 m. The infill between the surviving concrete uprights now consists of metal mesh, but it is not known whether this was the original infill.(24)
3. Legal status to date
According to information obtained from the Institute for the Protection of Monuments of the Federal Ministry of Culture and Sport on 13 August 2007, the former convent and school of the Sisters of Mercy in Travnik was not protected by the Institute for the Protection of the Cultural, Historical and Natural Heritage.
4. Research and conservation and restoration works
There is no information concerning specific research or conservation and restoration works. It is known only that the building was extended in 1959, since when it has a second floor.
This was preceded by a change of use in 1947, when the educational institution was barred from working and the property became residential.
5. Current condition of the property(25)
The property is currently in a critical structural condition, particularly as regards the second floor and attic, which the tenants have had to move out of since the damage poses a threat to life and limb.
The structural system of the ground and first floor is not in immediate danger, except part of the south-west wing on the first floor where the ceiling joists and floor above the ground floor are badly damaged.
The wooden interior staircase facing the inner courtyard is damaged, though not so badly as to prevent access to all floors including the attic.
The entire ground floor is currently being used for residential purposes, apart from the room at the extreme south-west end of the south wing, which is used as a private storeroom for tools and other materials.
Part of the first floor, mainly in the north wing, is also being used for residential purposes, while the remainder is either vacant and unsuitable for use, or so badly damaged as to be unusable.
There is a shared toilet block on the north side of the south wing. The front part of this toilet block contains the original drain.
The west side of the south wing is inaccessible as a result of serious damage.
The second floor is completely unsuitable for occupancy and no longer contains any residential premises. This is particularly true of the west side of the south wing, which is inaccessible. The effects of the fire that broke out in the attic space above can still be seen on the second floor.
The attic, which was totally destroyed by the fire, is above the second floor. The timber trusses and rafters were burned almost completely to a cinder, and only parts of the tile cladding remain, on the south-east and south-west side of the south wing and part of the north wing. The west semicircular apsidal roof of the north wing, though dilapidated, was not damaged by the fire.
The floor of the attic, which is currently fully exposed to the elements, is covered with plastic sheeting which provides only limited protection from rain and snow.
The tiles on the roof were mostly destroyed in the fire, and the roof no longer affords any protection. The carbonized timber rafters, uprights and beams are still in place. This carbonized, unprotected structure will most likely collapse entirely in the near future, and atmospheric moisture will soon destroy the ceiling joists and flooring above the second floor. The plastic sheeting laid over this floor is not suitable for preventing water leaking into the property.
The installations are in very poor condition. Damp is penetrating from the unprotected attic, leading to the very real possibility that moisture will come into contact with the electric wiring, posing another threat to the lives of the tenants.
The shared toilet block on the first floor is in a critical hygienic state and there is a risk of infectious diseases.
Hygienic conditions on the second floor and attic are such as to cause concern and also pose a potential source of infectious diseases.
The state of the structure and the mainly improvised installations in the flats, which have not been examined in detail, is a separate matter, but is probably very worrying.
6. Specific risks
- risk of the structural system of the second floor and attic collapsing as a result of fire damage;
- adverse weather conditions leading to further damage to parts of the walls and floors;
- dilapidated electric wiring and water pipes, with penetration by rain adding to the risk of electric shocks and consequent danger for the tenants;
- presence of large quantities of water;
- failure to carry out routine maintenance;
- critical hygienic conditions throughout the building, particularly of the toilet blocks, posing a threat to the health of the tenants and possible infectious diseases.
III – CONCLUSION
Applying the Criteria for the adoption of a decision on proclaiming an item of property a national monument (Official Gazette of BiH nos. 33/02 and 15/03), the Commission has enacted the Decision cited above.
The Decision was based on the following criteria:
A. Time frame
B. Historical value (in this case, historical documentary value)
D. Clarity (documentary, scientific and educational value)
D.v. evidence of a typical way of life at a specific period
E. Symbolic value
E.iii. traditional value
E.v. significance for the identity of a group of people
G. Authenticity
G.i. form and design
G.v. location and setting
I. Completeness
I.iii. completeness
The following documents form an integral part of this Decision:
- Copy of cadastral plan;
- Proof of title;
- Photodocumentation.
Bibliography
During the procedure to designate the monument as a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina the following works were consulted:
1932. O. Kamilo Zabeo D.I. Travnička spomenica - prigodom pedesetogodišnjice nadbiskupskog sjemeništa i nadbiskupske velike gimnazije u Travniku 1882.-1932 (Travnik Commemoration on the occasion of the fiftieth anniversary of the Archbishop's seminary and great grammar school in Travnik, 1882-1992). Sarajevo: Regina Apostolorum Academy Press, 1932.
1972. Kronologija dogadjaja u travničkom okružju za vrijeme austrougarske okupacije (1878-1918) (Chronology of Events in the Travnik District during the Austro-Hungarian Occupation [1878-1918]). Travnik: Archives of Central Bosnia in Travnik, 1972.
1981. Udovičić, Martin. Travnik u vrijeme austrougarske (1878-1918) (Travnik in the Austro-Hungarian Period [1878-1918]). Travnik: Archives of Central Bosnia in Travnik, 1981.
1990. Maslić, Fatima. Starine i muzeji Travnika (Antiquities and Museums of Travnik). Zagreb: Travnik Tourist Association, 1990.
2006. Ramić, Amir. Professional Opinion RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY – no. 4 Lukavačka st., Travnik. Sarajevo: October 2006.
Documentation of the Institute for the Protection of the Cultural, Historical and Natural Heritage of BiH
Documentation of the Regional Museum in Travnik
Documentation of the Archives of BiH
Documentation and library of the Archives of Central Bosnia in Travnik
Private collection of photographs and drawings belonging to tenant Zoran Gvozdenović
(1) For further details on the history and development of the town of Travnik through the ages, see Decision no.05.2-2-268/04-6 of the Commission to Preserve National Monuments of BiH designating the ensemble of the old fort in Travnnik as a national monument, 24 January 2005.
(2) Fatima Maslić, Starine i muzeji Travnika, Zagreb: Tourist Association of Travnik, 1990, 6; O. Kamilo Zabeo D.I, Travnička spomenica – prigodom pedesetogodišnjice nadbiskupskog sjemeništa i nadbiskupske velike gimnazije u Travniku 1882.-1932., Sarajevo: Regina Apostolorum Academy Press, 1932, 65.
(3) Fatima Maslić, Starine i muzeji Travnika, Zagreb: Tourist Association of Travnik, 1990, 7, 8.
(4) O. Kamilo Zabeo D.I, Travnička spomenica – prigodom pedesetogodišnjice nadbiskupskog sjemeništa i nadbiskupske velike gimnazije u Travniku 1882.-1932., Sarajevo: Regina Apostolorum Academy Press, 1932, 61.
(5) Data from Archives of BiH, August 2007
(6) Sarajevski list 80, 10 July 1883. – “Kronologija dogadjaja u travničkom okružju za vrijeme austrougarske okupacije (1878-1918),” Sarajevo 1972, Travnik: Archives of Central Bosnia.
(7) O. Kamilo Zabeo D.I, Travnička spomenica – prigodom pedesetogodišnjice nadbiskupskog sjemeništa i nadbiskupske velike gimnazije u Travniku 1882.-1932., Sarajevo: Regina Apostolorum Academy Press, 1932, 61.
(8) Regional Museum in Travnik: Details of Cloisters building, August 2007, Travnik
(9) M. Udovičić, Travnik u vrijeme Austro-ugarske (1878-1918), Travnik: Archives of Central Bosnia, 1981, 169.
(10) In the school year 1902/03 there were three Serbian Orthodox and seven Jewish pupils. After 1910 there was an increase in the number of Muslim pupils, who then outnumbered the Serbian Orthodox and Jewish pupils combined. M. Udovičić, Travnik u vrijeme Austro-ugarske (1878-1918), Travnik: Archives of Central Bosnia, 1981, 171.
(11) M. Udovičić, Travnik u vrijeme Austro-ugarske (1878-1918), Travnik: Archives of Central Bosnia, 1981, 171.
(12) Regional Museum in Travnik: Details of Cloisters building, August 2007, Travnik
(13) It is not known where the boys' school was located. O. Kamilo Zabeo D.I, Travnička spomenica – prigodom pedesetogodišnjice nadbiskupskog sjemeništa i nadbiskupske velike gimnazije u Travniku 1882.-1932., Sarajevo: Regina Apostolorum Academy Press, 1932, 61.
(14) Regional Museum in Travnik: Details of Cloisters building, August 2007, Travnik
(15) “In 1878 there was a fortunate turning point in the educational system. That year the authorities opened a boys’ primary school in Travnik. Two years later came the school of the Sisters of Mercy. Another two years later (1882) the grammar school was opened, and two years later again (1884) the Sisters of Mercy extended their school to become a girls’ high school.” O. Kamilo Zabeo D.I, Travnička spomenica – prigodom pedesetogodišnjice nadbiskupskog sjemeništa i nadbiskupske velike gimnazije u Travniku 1882.-1932., Sarajevo: Regina Apostolorum Academy Press, 1932, 61. In other words, two years later in relation to 1878, making it 1880, not 1882. 1880 should be regarded as the year when the Sisters of Mercy school was founded, and 1882 merely as the year when it was extended to become a girls' high school. However, this does not rule out the possibility that the building was not finally completed until 1882, though there is no evidence to that effect.
(16) M. Udovičić, Travnik u vrijeme Austro-ugarske (1878-1918), Travnik: Archives of Central Bosnia, 1981, 172.
(17) Tahir Lendo – Mayor of Travnik, letter to the Commission to Preserve National Monuments dated 6b June 2007
(18) Statement by tenant Zoran Gvozdenović, born in 1962 in a flat on the newly-built second floor, 13 August 2007, no. 4 Lukačka st., Travnik
(19) Statement by a tenant of no. 4 Lukačka st, August 2007, Travnik
(20) From private photographs belonging to tenant Zoran Gvozdenović, 13 August 2007, no. 4 Lukačka, Travnik
(21) Amir Ramić: Professional Opinion RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY – no. 4 Lukavačka st., Travnik, Sarajevo: October 2006, 2.p.
(22) Amir Ramić: Professional Opinion RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY – no. 4 Lukavačka st., Travnik Sarajevo: October 2006, 2.p.
(23) Amir Ramić: Professional Opinion RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY – no. 4 Lukavačka st., Travnik, Sarajevo: October 2006, 2.p.
(24) Analyzing a photograph taken in the 1980s, largish rectangular concavities can be seen in the concrete pillars. These concavities are typical of the primary wooden structure of the railing, which was probably originally wooden (Private collection of photographs belonging to tenant Zoran Gvozdenović taken in the 1908s. 13 August 2007, Travnik)
(25) For a detailed overview of the damage and proposed essential measures, see Amir Ramić: Professional Opinion RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY – no. 4 Lukavačka st., Travnik, Sarajevo: October 2006, 2.p.
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