MASS GRAVES, STAGNATING IDENTIFICATION, AND VIOLENCE - A CASE-STUDY IN THE LOCAL-SOURCES OF THE WAR IN BOSNIA-HERZEGOVINA

Bosnia Hercegovina is the site of a striking number of World War II mo numents erected on or near mass graves. Unlike war monuments and war g raves elsewhere in Europe, these memorials are bones of contention and they generate violent infer-ethnic animosity. This article describes the trials and tribulations surrounding one of these war monuments and the Serb and Croat communities involved It addresses an aspect of eth nic cleansing that has hitherto been the focus of very little research , that is, the destruction of mass graves. It is hypothesized that mas s graves and the related commemorative ceremonies are a key to underst anding the stagnating ethnic identification and the recent revival of violence in rural Bosnia Hercegovina. The article advocates a more sys tematic inquiry into the local sources of ''the war'' in this part of the former Yugoslavia.