Yugoslav Memorials as Dissonant Landscapes: A Case Study of the Monument to the Fallen Fighters of the National Liberation War from Drvar, Bosnia and Herzegovina

The Socialist Yugoslav Second World War memorials, works of large-scale memorial sculpture scattered across former Yugoslavia’s successor states, have gained international artistic recognition yet deteriorated significantly since the 1990s dissolution of the country. This deterioration has been particularly severe in Bosnia and Herzegovina, where ethnic and political divisions have complicated their commemorative value. This study employs the concept of “dissonant landscape” to reframe these memorials as integral components of a larger Yugoslav modernist cultural landscape rather than isolated problematic structures. By situating memorials within broader contexts of everyday heritage and collective memory, the framework enables complex interpretations that transcend simplistic ideological readings. The memorials, as dissonant heritage, are invested with multiple meanings by different ethnic–religious groups, and may function as catalysts for cultural dialogue and reconciliation. Methodologically, this study relies on conceptual analysis in the realm of critical heritage studies, combined with a case study of the Monument to the Fallen Fighters of the National Liberation War from Drvar, a relatively understudied memorial recently prioritized by local conservation efforts, and it includes analysis of previously unpublished archival material, field observation, interviews with local authorities and survey with the citizens of Drvar. This study establishes a new perspective on the heritage potential of Yugoslav memorials that may serve as bases of innovative preservation policies, grounded in reconciliation and cultural tourism.