Sarajevo Haggadah
By far, the most valuable piece in the collection of the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina is Sarajevo Haggadah. This priceless masterpiece of medieval Judaica most likely originates in 14th century Spain. Possibly created as a wedding present celebrating the union of two families whose coat of arms appear on the bottom corners of the book, it is known that Haggadah left Spain after the expulsion of Jews in 1492. Haggadah traveled throughout Europe and it most likely arrived to Sarajevo with Jews seeking refuge in the 16th century.
The National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina acquired the book in 1894. After the acquisition, the book was sent to Vienna for authentication and miraculously returned to Sarajevo a few years later. The story of Haggadah after this point becomes as intricate as the story of Sarajevo. Haggadah has come to be known as the symbol of survival and perseverance of the city itself.
Until 2002, when a permanent exhibition hall to house Haggadah was opened, the book was kept in deep in the manuscript section of the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina and seen only by persons lucky enough to have special access, and yet, everyone was aware of the book’s existence. In 1941, when Nazis occupied Sarajevo, one of the first objects they sought to take was Sarajevo Haggadah. However, thanks to the wit and ingenuity of the director of the National Museum – Jozo Petrović – and the museum’s curator – Mr. Derviš Korkut – Haggadah was saved from Nazi hands. It is unclear what happened to Haggadah during World War II and there are several legends that surround its safekeeping. One story is that the director of the museum took the book to a mosque in a village located on Bjelašnica Mountain. According to the story, the imam of the mosque hid it under the threshold of the mosque. Another legend claims that it was buried under a tree for the length of the war. According to Sarajevo Jewish Humanitarian Society “La Benevolencia”, it is most likely that the book was tuck away on a hidden bookshelf of the National Museum’s library. All in all, the book appeared back at the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1945.
Sarajevo Haggadah was kept in the Museum until 1992 when the institution along with the city was besieged. Unlike other valuable manuscripts and museum pieces that vanished in flames of war, Haggadah was rescued in a dramatic fashion by its brave director – Dr. Enver Imamović – and several police officers and members of the territorial guard. The book was then transferred to the vault of the National Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina where it waited for better days.
As the war in Sarajevo raged on, several speculations appeared that the Bosnian and Herzegovinian government had sold the book to buy arms and those that claimed that the book was destroyed. Connecticut (US) Senator Joe Lieberman challenged Bosnian government in 1995, declaring that he would come to Sarajevo for Passover if Sarajevo Haggadah was placed on the table. President of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Alija Izetbegović and Prime Minister Haris Silajdžić accepted the challenge and brought the book to the Jewish Community building for Passover. This event was broadcast all over the world, but Senator Lieberman was not able to arrive for security reasons.
Sarajevo Haggadah is now permanently exhibited at the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It seems that now, six centuries after it left its home in Spain, it had found its final place and a room of its own.
By far, the most valuable piece in the collection of the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina is Sarajevo Haggadah. This priceless masterpiece of medieval Judaica most likely originates in 14th century Spain. Possibly created as a wedding present celebrating the union of two families whose coat of arms appear on the bottom corners of the book, it is known that Haggadah left Spain after the expulsion of Jews in 1492. Haggadah traveled throughout Europe and it most likely arrived to Sarajevo with Jews seeking refuge in the 16th century. The National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina acquired the book in 1894. After the acquisition, the book was sent to Vienna for authentication and miraculously returned to Sarajevo a few years later. The story of Haggadah after this point becomes as intricate as the story of Sarajevo. Haggadah has come to be known as the symbol of survival and perseverance of the city itself.
Until 2002, when a permanent exhibition hall to house Haggadah was opened, the book was kept in deep in the manuscript section of the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina and seen only by persons lucky enough to have special access, and yet, everyone was aware of the book’s existence. In 1941, when Nazis occupied Sarajevo, one of the first objects they sought to take was Sarajevo Haggadah. However, thanks to the wit and ingenuity of the director of the National Museum – Jozo Petrović – and the museum’s curator – Mr. Derviš Korkut – Haggadah was saved from Nazi hands. It is unclear what happened to Haggadah during World War II and there are several legends that surround its safekeeping. One story is that the director of the museum took the book to a mosque in a village located on Bjelašnica Mountain. According to the story, the imam of the mosque hid it under the threshold of the mosque. Another legend claims that it was buried under a tree for the length of the war. According to Sarajevo Jewish Humanitarian Society “La Benevolencia”, it is most likely that the book was tuck away on a hidden bookshelf of the National Museum’s library. All in all, the book appeared back at the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina in 1945.
Sarajevo Haggadah was kept in the Museum until 1992 when the institution along with the city was besieged. Unlike other valuable manuscripts and museum pieces that vanished in flames of war, Haggadah was rescued in a dramatic fashion by its brave director – Dr. Enver Imamović – and several police officers and members of the territorial guard. The book was then transferred to the vault of the National Bank of Bosnia and Herzegovina where it waited for better days.
As the war in Sarajevo raged on, several speculations appeared that the Bosnian and Herzegovinian government had sold the book to buy arms and those that claimed that the book was destroyed. Connecticut (US) Senator Joe Lieberman challenged Bosnian government in 1995, declaring that he would come to Sarajevo for Passover if Sarajevo Haggadah was placed on the table. President of Bosnia and Herzegovina, Alija Izetbegović and Prime Minister Haris Silajdžić accepted the challenge and brought the book to the Jewish Community building for Passover. This event was broadcast all over the world, but Senator Lieberman was not able to arrive for security reasons.
Sarajevo Haggadah is now permanently exhibited at the National Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It seems that now, six centuries after it left its home in Spain, it had found its final place and a room of its own.
