The Dayton Sister City Committee

Sarajevo, Bosnia-Herzegovina

City: Sarajevo
Country: Bosnia and Herzegovina
Population: 297,416
City was founded in: 1461
Become a Dayton Sister City in: 1999

Brief Description

Sarajevo is the capital of and largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina, surrounded by the Dinaric Alps in the heart of southeastern Europe and the Balkans. Sarajevo is the leading political, social and cultural center of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The modern city arose as an Ottoman stronghold in the 15th century and once was part of Yugoslavia. In 1914, it was the site of the assassination of the Archduke of Austria, which sparked World War I. The crowning moment of Sarajevo’s time in Socialist Yugoslavia was hosting the 1984 Winter Olympics. From 1992 to 1996, Sarajevo suffered the longest siege of a city in the history of modern warfare during the Bosnian War, an armed conflict that came about as a result of the breakup of Yugoslavia. It was the most devastating conflict in Europe since the end of World War II. The war was brought to an end in Dayton. Peace negotiations were held at the Hope Hotel at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, and the Dayton Agreement was finalized on Dec. 14, 1995. Today, Sarajevo is undergoing post-war reconstruction and is the fastest-growing city in Bosnia and Herzegovina.