There was a tragic period in the 1991-92 during which the Serbians bombarded Dubrovnik as part of their disagreement (displeasure?) with Croatia wanting independence. Former Yugoslavia had been disintegrating for some time, with other countries, Slovenia, for instance, being among the first to break away from the former union. Now it was Croatia wanting independence and entrance, acceptance, into the European Union.
This photo attempts to show a map of the damage done to the Old City during the 91-92 war. It's not important to see the detail, but the point I want to make is the extent of the bombardment damage. If you could see and read the detail of this map, it would point out where substantial building damage was done, or lesser damage such as roof damage, and then damage to streets and alleyways.
The remarkable thing about all this is that the people of Dubrovnik were quick to rebuild the city and today, as you walk about, you would never known/guess that such bombardment had occured. The strange part of Serbia's action is that Dubrovnik had no military significance at the time, so hostile action such as the bombardment seemed entirely uncalled for.
On my prior visit to Dubrovnik, I attended a lecture given by a woman who teaches at a local university, and what I was taken by was her emotion telling of life in the city during the bombardment period. It was terrifying, she told the audience, as you can well imagine.
Ah, but Dubrovnik is a happy place these days, with the tourist industry back in full(er) force and the economy improving. If you get irritated at some point with the crowds due to tourist groups, think for just a moment what life must have been like during the 91-92 period.
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