Visit to Neum, Ljubuški and Čitluk Municipalities

The meeting in Neum Municipality was held on 05.03.2004. at 11:00. The meeting was attended by Commission members and staff and by Đuro Obradović, mayor, Danica Butigan, assistant to the mayor for civil engineering and the environment; Borka Dodig, assistant to the mayor for public administration and social services; Smilja Konjevod; assistant to the mayor for cadastral issues and survey; Stanislav Vukorep, president of the Society of  Antiquarians of Hutovo - Neum and secretary of the Foundation Ruđer Bošković Donja Hercegovina; and Vadim Kuznetsov, deputy High Representative and senior adviser, OHR.

Members of the Commission explained to those present the nature of authority, modus operandi and rules of procedure of the Commission, the way in which proposals to designate properties as national monuments are submitted and the implementation of decisions. Particular emphasis was laid on the need to observe the provisions of the law, whereby all monuments on the Provisional List of National Monuments of BiH enjoy the highest level of protection and whereby the Entity ministries are responsible for issuing permits for their rehabilitation. Those present were also told of the activities of the Commission in regard to national monuments at risk from illegal construction, inexpert reconstruction, lack of maintenance or other forms of destruction or dilapidation, and were informed that pursuant to the Criminal Code, such actions or omissions may be subject of criminal charges. They were also informed about the principle of transparency which guides the work of the Commission, and about the way the decisions and other acts of the Commission are published.

The method and forms of cooperation were set out in detail.  Municipal representatives confirmed that they would cooperate with the Commission members and Secretariat as required by the law.  It was confirmed that the Commission Secretariat qualified staff members would be able, when preparing the documentation required to adopt a decision to designate properties as national monuments, to acquire all the necessary information from the municipal cadastral records, land registry, archives and regional planning documentation.  The municipal authorities will also provide Commission staff members and associates with assistance when inspecting the sites of monuments, and when identifying possible additional sources of information on the properties in question.

All decisions adopted by the Commission will be forwarded to the municipal courts, which will check the land registry for charges against the plots relating to the Commission's decisions, after which the municipal courts will forward the necessary data to the municipal cadastral office so that information on the protection regime may be entered on the cadastral plan for each individual cadastral plot.  Regulation plans and other regional planning documentation are inapplicable to the extent that they contravene the provisions of the Commission's decisions, which are final and binding.

It was made clear that the Commission adopts its decisions to designate properties pursuant to its jurisdiction, and that it has no funds available for the reconstruction of national monuments, but that it may approach the relevant state and entity institutions with a recommendation that funds be allocated for the protection of the monuments at greatest risk, and may also approach foreign donors. The Commission set up the List of Monuments at greatest risk of Bosnia and Herzegovina and intiated an international campaign to raise funds for the protection of three national monuments: Mehmed-paša Sokolović Bridge in Višegrad, Old Fort in Stolac and Old Fort in Jajce.

The Commission is also responsible for international cooperation in the field of cultural heritage protection, ranging from cooperation with Interpol for properties illicitly exported from the country to proposing monuments for inclusion on the World Heritage List or the WMF World Monuments Watch List of the 100 most endangered properties and drafting and implementing international conventions and treaties.

The Chair explained that the following properties in Neum municipality are on the Provisional List of National Monuments of Bosnia and Herzegovina: necropolis of stećak tombstones and contemporary cemetery in the vicinity of Jurković’s houses on Brštanica in Donje Hrasno; necropolis of stećak tombstones in Glumina; epigraphs of Radovan Vukanović and mediaeval necropolis with chapel in Hutovo (located in two sites, by close by); architectural ensemble, that included the mosque and tower of Hadži-beg Rizvanbegović in Hutovo Polje (Old town with tower of Hadži-beg Rizvanbegović in Hutovo); and the church of St. Ana, Neumski Gradac.

Đuro Obradović explained that the Municipality did not have considerable funds available for the protection of cultural heritage. The Law on the Local Governance is being amended and the Municipality expects that responsibilities be clearly defined so that funds could be properly allocated. The Municipality, in cooperation with the Society of  Antiquarians of Hutovo - Neum, carried out certain activities aimed the protection of the Old town of Hutovo an in Vranjevo selo. The Commission approved the budget in the amount of 1,300,000 KM for 2004, and out of that amount, 20.000 KM were earmarked for culture and sport, which permits only small scale activities to protect cultural heritage.

Stanislav Vukorep stated that the Society of  Antiquarians of Hutovo - Neum had been established in 1990 and that in 1989 construction of a Traditional old House of Herzegovina had been initiated and that its first stage had been completed before the war. In addition to that, movable stone monuments collected in the field were placed in the vicinity of the house. The Society was registered in 1995, and re-registered in 2000. It has 30 members, who are mainly engaged in preparing cultural events, like “Ivanski kresovi”, summer and winter carnivals; they also cleared the necropolises of Lišća, Međugorje and Old town of Hutovo. Five years ago, a magazine “Vrutak” was launched, 10 numbers issued up to now, but it faces its closing stages due to lack of funding. More than 120 individuals wrote for the magazine, ranging from academics to students. At the very beginning, it included information on cultural heritage of Bosnia and Herzegovina, but later on only on Herzegovina municipalities: Stolac, Ravno and Čapljina. The Society has no financial support for its activities and lives only on contributions from physical and legal persons. Before the war, Snježana Vasilj, an archaeologist from Sarajevo conducted some excavations in Crkvina and discovered the foundation of an early Christian chapel, but no funds were available for the protection. In 1990 and 1991, the Institute for the Protection of Monuments of the Federal Ministry of Culture and Sport performed some research of tumuli and hill-forts in the area of Hutovo and all recovered material was to be analysed and returned to the Society for the future Museum; however, the material was transported to Sarajevo and was destroyed during the war. The Society attempted to cut a 2 km road to an exquisite necropolis in Višići, so that it could serve to touristic purposes, but with the assistance provided by the municipality and donors, it was possible to cut only 1 km. He also proposed that the railway line be protected, same as railway stations and locomotives, and informed those present that the Foundation Ruđer Bošković intended to initiate the reconstruction of one section of the narrow-gauge railway and offer it for tourist visits.

Dubravko Lovrenović pointed out positive examples of municipalities in the Federation of BiH that earmarked funds for the protection of cultural heritage and where Societies for the Protection of Cultural and Natural Heritage were created, operational for two to three years and had data basis established. The Municipality needs to contact these Societies and NGOs, which would contribute to the cooperation between the Municipality and the Commission to Preserve Heritage. New Law on the Protection of Cultural Heritage at the level of Bosnia and Herzegovina should legally define allocation of funds for the protection of heritage in the budgets of municipalities.

Following the meeting, a visit was made to the church of St. Ana in Neumski Gradac, necropolis of stećak tombstones in Brštanica, necropolis of stećak tombstones in Glumina, Old town of Hutovo, mediaeval necropolis with chapel in Hutovo and Traditional house.