Bri Nitsberg | Student Life

Fontbonne University’s Center for Bosnian Studies (CBS) Oral History Project (formerly Bosnian Memory Project) was started in 2006.

During my senior year of high school, my human rights class had the opportunity to visit Fontbonne University’s Center for Bosnian Studies (CBS). We had just read about and discussed the Bosnian genocide (or Srebrenica massacre) that happened during the Bosnian War in the years 1992–1995. Today, the largest Bosnian community outside of Bosnia resides in St. Louis. Refugees came to the city as a result of displacement by the war and genocide. 

My class met with the director of the center, Adna Karamehic-Oates, and the center archivist, Rebecca van Knies. They showed us the collection of photographs, newspaper clippings, books, and other pieces regarding Bosnian culture that they keep in their archive. The room was relatively small and tucked away in a basement on campus, but wholly impressive. The center conducts the CBS Oral History Project (formerly Bosnian Memory Project), a unique program that collects oral histories from refugees and other people with relevant experiences that brought them to St. Louis.

Along with preserving Bosnian culture and memory of the war and genocide, the center also has an outreach program for high school students in St. Louis. Students participate in collecting oral histories with the ability to earn three hours of transferable university credits. The program is also designed for students with Bosnian heritage to connect with and preserve their cultural roots.

The CBS Oral History Project is extremely unique and does the important work of archiving, collecting, and preserving the memory of Bosnian culture in the aftermath of war. Prior to the announcement of Fontbonne’s sale to Washington University, Fontbonne had been experiencing decreasing matriculation rates, resulting in the closure of even its more popular programs. Considering the dwindling amount of resources Fontbonne had been experiencing even before being bought by Washington University, I assume that the Center for Bosnian Studies at the school has also been experiencing a deficit. In light of this, I worry that with Washington University’s purchase of Fontbonne, the program may cease to have the platform and resources necessary for it to continue.

I foresee that the program could be transferred to a community space unrelated to an institution of higher education, or perhaps be absorbed by WashU or another university. I am not aware what future plans for the program include, but I imagine that the staff directing the program will have to pivot to keep the program afloat. Considering the assumed lack of resources and stable institutional support, it is likely that without intervention, the program may cease the ability to continue its work at full capacity.

The attitude of WashU students towards Fontbonne is one of indifference; I urge the WashU community to tread carefully and with more consideration about how programs at Fontbonne are either incorporated into WashU or transferred elsewhere. The dissipation of a community is disheartening, and so too would be the dissipation of the resources that support necessary and underserved programs like the Oral History Project. 

Preserving cultural memory is important, and in the future, I hope to see WashU mindfully navigate the incorporation of not only Fontbonne’s facilities but also their academic programming and materials. Having support in academia for displaced communities prevents remnants of culture from becoming obscured. If anything, the acquisition of Fontbonne could be an opportunity for WashU to acquire this program and strengthen it; the opportunity to make positive, lasting change should not be lost on our institution.