SPASAVA SE KO – STIGNE DO KROVA! BESPRAVNA STAMBENA IZGRADNJA U SOCIJALISTIČKOJ REPUBLICI BOSNI I HERCEGOVINI S POSEBNIM OSVRTOM NA SARAJEVO
WHOEVER REACHES THE ROOF IS SAVED! ILLEGAL HOUSING CONSTRUCTION IN THE SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO SARAJEVO

Summary/Abstract: Based on published and unpublished sources, newspapers and literature, in this article I analyse the problem of the phenomenon of illegal housing construction in socialism with special reference to the situation in Sarajevo, the political, economic, social and cultural centre of SR Bosnia and Herzegovina. The social phenomenon of illegal construction in all its (exceptional) complexity was largely determined by the compound sociopolitical circumstances and ideology of the socialist society - primarily the process of extensive modernization, industrialization and urbanization - as well as the policies defined by the socialist housing strategies of that period. In this sense, illegal housing construction was much more than a matter of urban planning of the city or the physical manifestation of illegal forms of construction; it was an expression of broader social, economic, environmental, and political conditions that shaped the city. The dynamics of the development of socialist society gave the phenomenon of illegal housing construction a distinct character, making it necessary to analyze its root causes within this complex framework. The rapid growth of major cities, especially republican and provincial centres, was a consequence of modernization accompanied by intensive population migrations – one of the key factors that shaped these processes. With its continuous population increase and urban expansion, Sarajevo quickly became one of the cities with the highest number of illegally constructed buildings. The issue of illegal housing construction gradually emerged in the public discourse of socialist Yugoslavia from the early 1960s, coinciding with its growing prevalence. By the late 1960s, the Academy of Sciences and Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina (ANUBiH) initiated the organization of a special symposium on illegal housing construction, which was held in December 1971. The conclusions of the symposium reaffirmed previously established views—illegal construction should not be considered solely through the lens of urban planning but also through its broader social and economic causes and consequences. It was assessed that the disparity between the pace of industrialization and urbanization and the rate of housing development was one of the main reasons for the rapid expansion of this phenomenon, leading to a sharp increase in illegal settlements, especially from the 1960s onward. These settlements, built on non-construction land without permits, often lacked basic communal and transportation infrastructure, further burdening the city’s urban development. Analyzing illegal housing construction in Sarajevo requires consideration of a broader range of factors, including the socio-economic structure of the builders of these settlements. The working-class population, which made up a significant portion of residents in these areas, simultaneously accelerated the construction process and enjoyed a certain degree of tolerance from socialist authorities. The system’s inability to fulfill its ideological promises created a persistent crisis, reflected in its failure to adequately address the housing needs of the working class. This resulted in an increasingly pronounced gap between political rhetoric and reality. Furthermore, illegal housing construction had significant environmental consequences, especially in the 1970s, when ecological issues in Sarajevo became more pronounced. Unregulated construction on the city’s outskirts and in close proximity to urban zones posed new challenges for environmental preservation and sustainable urban planning. This complex topic requires further research, both from historical perspectives and through contemporary urban, sociological, environmental, and other analytical approaches, to better understand not only past urban challenges but also those of today.

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