One wouldn't normally associate Grbavica, a suburb of Sarajevo, with a love story because it was the scene of so much death and destruction. The Romeo and Juliet of Sarajevo lost their lives on the bridge between Serb-held Grbavica and Bosnian government--held territory in Sarajevo. Twenty-five-year-old Admira Ismic and Bosko Brkic, Muslim and Serb, in 1993 planned to leave their beloved city, which had become home to hate and despair. Arrangements were made and deals were cut to allow them to cross together into Srpska and then escape to Belgrade. At the moment of their crossing the Vrbanja bridge, they were gunned down by Serb snipers (although the killers deny it, all evidence points in the direction of their buildings). Left for days because no one would go near the bridge, Admira and Bosko lay there, dead, until Muslim prisoners tethered to ropes were forced by their Serb captors to retrieve the bodies. On April 10, 1996, Admira and Bosko were reburied together in Sarajevo.

Grbavica remained under Serb control until March 19, 1996, when IFOR supervised its return to Bosnian government control. By that time, most of the Serb residents were already driven out by their own nationalist leaders, but not before everything of value was looted and most else -- including plumbing, electrical fixtures, and furniture -- destroyed.

To returning residents (pictured at right), the ruins were at least home and an escape from overcrowded shelters and apartments. Some Serbs remained and experienced emotional reunions with returning neighbors and friends (above photo) whom they hadn't seen in four years.

"The spirit of Bosnia is still alive. I know we can live together again. My mother's people -- Serb -- are completely normal people. We need to now start from zero to build that relationship again."

--Zlatan Mesic, Returning Grbavica resident who fled after being forced into a work brigade and had his daughter's life threatened by Serb paramilitary forces