The Museum of Literature and Performing Arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina was founded in 1961 as the Museum of Literature of BiH. Since 1970, it has been operating as an institution that systematically collects, preserves, and presents material from the fields of literature and performing arts of Bosnia and Herzegovina.
Today, the Museum houses 67 literary and 37 theatrical collections with over 20,000 exhibits, including manuscripts, correspondence, personal documents, photographs, books, magazines, as well as extensive theatrical documentation – posters, set and costume design sketches, and archival photographs of performances.
Of particular value are the original manuscripts of the most significant works of Bosnian and Herzegovinian literature: the manuscript of Ivo Andrić's novel Bridge on the Drina, along with the fountain pen with which the novel was written, and the manuscript of Meša Selimović's novel Death and the Dervish.
In the Museum, you can see manuscripts by Ivo Andrić and Meša Selimović, exhibits from the life and work of Isak Samokovlija, as well as collections dedicated to authors such as Silvije Strahimir Kranjčević, Mak Dizdar, Branko Ćopić, Petar Kočić, Zija Dizdarević, Hasan Kikić, and Kalmi Baruh.
The theatre segment presented exhibits from the legacies of prominent artists, including Reihan Demirdžić, Safet Pašalić, Jelena Kešeljević, Jolanda Đačić and Jurislav Korenić, as well as extensive material from set design and costume design archives.
On the ground floor of the Museum there is a gallery space where various exhibitions – art and literary – are continuously displayed. The Museum is also an active cultural center that organizes literary evenings, concerts, plays, and other programs.
The museum is located in a historic house in the center of Sarajevo, formerly owned by the Skarić and Despić families, which has been declared a national monument of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is a rare preserved example of urban residential architecture, with authentic elements such as a wooden porch, stone paving, and a traditional room layout.
