Wer Ist Walter

Resistance to fascism during the Second World War was the central narrative of socialist Yugoslavia. The History Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina—formerly known as the Museum of National Liberation of Bosnia and Herzegovina and later as the Museum of the Revolution of the Socialist Republic of Bosnia and Herzegovina—was founded in 1945 to implement official remembrance policies related to the war. These policies primarily shaped the narrative of the Partisan movement through the lens of the Communist Party’s role as the main force of resistance.

Is it possible to offer a fresh approach and view the role of the Partisans from today’s perspective and within a broader context? Precisely because of its historical role, the Museum has taken on the task of, for the first time since its first permanent exhibition in 1966, presenting the same story—yet told differently—about what was likely the most significant anti-fascist movement in Europe.

Although the exhibition Wer ist Walter deals with local examples from Bosnia and Herzegovina, it actually looks at the Partisans from an external perspective. By comparing similarities and differences with other countries, the exhibition focuses on the core characteristics of the movement—such as the liberation of large portions of occupied territory or the mass participation of women. How did the Partisans manage to attract such a large number of people to fight, how did they overcome ethnic divisions and create a broader, inclusive platform, how did they evolve from a guerrilla force into a regular army, how did forests and nature in general influence their way of fighting, who is Walter and who are the other “Walters,” how did ideology shape the movement, what vision of the future did the Partisans have—these are some of the questions the exhibition seeks to answer.

The exhibition is the result of the international project “Wer ist Walter? Resistance against Nazism in Europe” (2022–2024), which brought together researchers and museum professionals from Bosnia and Herzegovina, Croatia, Germany, and France. More about the project:  www.weristwalter.eu.