We had the honour of recording a powerful and deeply moving conversation with Mehemed Solaković-Meša, one of the true pioneers of the Bosnian community in Birmingham.
Meša comes from Prijedor, a town remembered for the concentration camps of Omarska, Keraterm and Trnopolje, where thousands of innocent people were imprisoned, tortured and killed. Like so many from Prijedor, Meša carries this history with him.
Despite everything, he helped build something extraordinary here in the UK, from the early days of the Bosnian Association and Bosnian School to the creation of Bosnia House for future generations.
Meša also shared unforgettable memories from the 1990s, when we organised a Bosnian football team. He was the driver of the famous white minibus, carrying our boys all over the country at a time when we were all on income support and had almost no money.
More than once, the petrol ran out, and the players had to get out and push the minibus for yards — sometimes miles — just to reach the next petrol station. Hard times, but full of laughter, solidarity and unbreakable spirit.
Meša used to bring his two children to Bosnian School, and today he brings his five grandchildren every Saturday — a living bridge between generations. His whole family has stood behind and supported our community work throughout the years.
This interview is part of our project dedicated to preserving the stories, memories and journeys of those who rebuilt their lives — and our community — after genocide.
If you would like to be part of the project “Preserving the Bosnian-British Story for Future Generations” as a volunteer, collaborator or participant, please contact us at: mirza@bosniauknetwork.org
Together, we are safeguarding the culture, identity and collective memory of the Bosnian and Herzegovinian community in the United Kingdom.
