Keeping a Diary as a Tool of Resilient Resistance? The Case of Besieged Sarajevo, 1992–1995

Why do people keep diaries in times of war and mass violence? Based on the analysis of 24 diaries written in besieged Sarajevo between 1992 and 1995, the text discusses diaries as a practice that connects resilience and resistance as two different but complementary concepts. It explores how writing diaries helped their authors to react to the hardships of the siege on a psychological, intellectual, emotional, and social level. The text also addresses the difficulties encountered when keeping diaries and the limits of their significance for their authors. Furthermore, it examines the role of diaries which were not only written but also published during the war. By linking diaries to the concept of “resilient resistance”, this analysis aims to contribute to research on the role of diaries, especially in times of war and mass violence, and on the question of “cultural resistance” in Sarajevo during the 1992–1995 siege.