At the request of survivors of the Srebrenica genocide, the Facing Srebrenica project is actively collecting personal photographs taken by members of the Dutch battalions (Dutchbat) who were stationed in the Srebrenica enclave as part of the UN Protection Forces in Bosnia and Herzegovina. These photographs, captured between February 1994 and July 1995, often feature rare and unique images of war victims and survivors, making them a crucial source of information regarding daily life during the siege.
Dutchbat veterans are invited to participate in the project by sharing their private collections of photographs. Through digitizing and archiving this material, the project aims to make the photographs accessible to survivors and their families as well as to the close relatives of victims. The photos will also be used for commemorative and research purposes, as the project explores how photographs can aid veterans in the process of dealing with their memories. Ultimately, the project seeks to contribute to an inclusive, transnational history and commemorative culture surrounding the Srebrenica genocide.
The project is jointly hosted by the Netherlands Defence Academy and the University of Amsterdam, with funding provided by the Dutch Research Council. It will be conducted in close collaboration with the Srebrenica Memorial Center and the Netherlands Institute for Military History.
