Bosnia and Herzegovina > Tuzla
Tuzla is a city and municipality in Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the time of the 1991 census, it had 131,000 inhabitants. Taking the influx of refugees into account, the city is currently estimated to have 160,000 inhabitants. After Sarajevo and Banja Luka, Tuzla is the third largest city in Bosnia and Herzegovina, and the seat of the Tuzla Canton and Tuzla Municipality.
Geography
Tuzla is located in the northeastern part of Bosnia, settled just underneath the Majevica mountain range, on the Jala river. The central zone lies in an east-west oriented plain, with residential areas in the north and south of the city located on the Ilinčica, Kicelj and Gradina hills. The climate is moderate continental.History
First mentioned in 950 as a county under Hungarian rule, the town was later referred to by historians as Soli. Soli means "salts" in the Bosnian, Croatian or Serbian language and the city's present name means "place of salt" in Turkish. However, there is enough archaeologic evidence to suggest that Tuzla was a rich neolithic settlement, and hence inhabited continuously for more than 6,000 years which makes Tuzla one of the oldest European settlements with sustained living. An open-air museum at Solni Trg, opened in 2004, tells the story of salt production in Tuzla.On October 2, 1943, Tuzla became the largest liberated town in Europe to the time. It developed into a major industrial and cultural centre during the communist period in former Yugoslavia. In the 1990 elections the Reformists won control of the municipality being the only municipality in Bosnia where non-nationalists won. During the Bosnian war, 1992-1995 the town was the only municipality not governed by nationalist authorities, and was besieged by Serb nationalist forces. The town was not spared the atrocities of war. On May 25, 1995, a Serb mortar shell killed 71 youngsters in Tuzla massacre, the single most deadly incident of the war in Tuzla.
The Tuzla massacre
The Speech of Mayor of Tuzla Mr. Selim Beslagic, Tuzla May 25th 1995.Gentlemen, On May 25th a terrifying crime happened in Tuzla at 20,55 p.m. Karadzic's fascists hit the centre of the town where the youth of Tuzla are gathering and killed over 65 girls, boys and children. More than a hundred are wounded. The final number of the victims, has been increasing from hour to hour. Do not expect that I address you in a diplomatic language in this the most painful moment in the history of this town. Tonight parents of Tuzla were collecting parts of their children's bodies on the streets of Tuzla. Their children had left their homes a few hours earlier, with the belief in better future. You should know, that at this moment when the pain is all over Tuzla, there is not any dilemma any more - UN who should be the protector of the world peace and basic human values participated, with their non-acting, in this crime. To tolerate the crime in Bosnia for the last three years is nothing else but ignorant watching of our dying. If you(UN), after this terrible crime, stay silent again, if you(UN) after this do not act by using military force as the only legal force left to protect innocent people from Karadzic Serbs crimes - than without any doubt you were, are and stay on the side of the evil, darkness and fascism. You declared Tuzla and other besieged cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, Safe Areas. You have worn out all diplomatic means. Innocent children and people are being killed continuously. For the sake of God and humanity use the force finally. - The Mayor of Tuzla Selim Beslagic.
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