Why would Paris name a street Rue de Srebrenica? This street honors the victims of the Srebrenica massacre. It is a tribute to a tragic event. The Srebrenica massacre took place in July 1995. Over 8000 Bosnian Muslims were killed. The army of the Serbian Republic of Bosnia committed this act of genocide.
Rue de Srebrenica is in Paris’s 20th arrondissement. It is located in a newly developed area in the eastern part of the city. The street is near the famous Père Lachaise cemetery. Interestingly Rue de Srebrenica is an extension of Rue de Balkans.
The street is approximately 200 meters long. That’s about 245 steps. It stretches from Rue du Clos to Rue Vitruve. Rue de Srebrenica is primarily residential. It is a quiet street with little traffic. The street begins with an old building surrounded by greenery. A sign on the metal fence reads Rue de Srebrenica. It explains that the street is in memory of the massacres perpetrated in July 1995 against the Bosniaks.
Large red planters stand at the beginning of Rue de Srebrenica. Trees and benches are at the end. There is no real sidewalk. Stone blocks mark the pedestrian area for half its length. Iron posts mark the other half. New buildings line both sides of the street. A 15-story white residential tower is one of the most prominent. A fire broke out in the building in May. The fire was quickly put out. However, the elevators were out of service for days. This event briefly put Rue de Srebrenica in the news.
Rue de Srebrenica has no shops or cafes. There is only one pharmacy. The residents are multinational. They come from different religions and cultures. Some residents knew about Srebrenica before the street was named. Others learned about it after.
One resident named Emil knew about Srebrenica. He knew about the events that happened there. He said the genocide in Bosnia was almost unbelievable. It was the first and only genocide in Europe after the Holocaust. Emil said that Srebrenica deserves to be remembered.
Another resident Jean-Pierre Arnaud said that the 20th arrondissement has many historical markers. He noted a plaque at the corner of Rue de Srebrenica and Rue Vitruve. The plaque commemorates Jewish children deported to Nazi death camps. He said the plaque and Rue de Srebrenica recall two genocides in Europe. They happened half a century apart. He hopes they will be remembered.
Two young people sitting on a bench said they learned about Srebrenica after the street was named. Before that, the street was known as voie FU/20. One of them, René, said he knows Srebrenica is a tragic city in Bosnia. 8000 people were killed there. He said he didn’t know much about the war. It happened when he was born. But now he knows something because of the street’s name.
Another resident Monique said she also learned about Srebrenica after the street was named. She believes it is important to preserve memories of historical events by naming streets after them. She added that the name is difficult to pronounce.
Rue de Srebrenica stands as a reminder. It commemorates a terrible event. It encourages reflection and remembrance. The street serves as a memorial in the heart of Paris.