Gavrilo Princip steps and plaque

Behind this plaque was a museum showing photos of Princip's ensuing prison sentence in the custody of the Austrians en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gavrilo_Princip .

My host-brother, Goran, explained to me that Princip was considered a hero in Yugoslavia because he started a war (symbolically at least) that would lead to Yugoslavia's formation and first-time independence from the Ottomans and the Austrians in over 500 years.

During the siege of Sarajevo (1992-1996), the footprints and plaque were destroyed. Princip did his shooting as a representative of the "Black Hand," a militant organization that sought South Slavic autonomy from the Habsburg Empire. During the siege, anything representing or resembling Serbian nationalism was removed. The replacement sign has a different text, and does not use the Serbian Cyrillic script, like this one did.

Translation of the text:

FROM THIS PLACE

28 JUNE 1914

GAVRILO PRINCIP

WITH HIS SHOOTING

EXPRESSED THE PEOPLE'S

PROTEST AGAINST

TYRANNY AND CENTURIES-LONG

ASPIRATION OF OUR

PEOPLE FOR FREEDOM

Where Gavrilo Princip stood when he shot Archduke Ferdinand, "starting" WWI

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