History
The street was established in the late 19th century during the Austro-Hungarian rule in Bosnia and Herzegovina, coinciding with the regulation of the Miljacka River’s banks. [1] Initially, it was named Appel Quay after Baron Johann von Appel, the Austro-Hungarian governor of Bosnia and Herzegovina. [2] The construction of the embankments and adjacent road infrastructure marked a turning point in Sarajevo’s urban development, shifting the city from an Ottoman-style urban center to a more modern European model. [3] The newly built street also became a symbolic space reflecting Austro-Hungarian ambitions to reshape Sarajevo’s identity. It soon developed into a prominent promenade and hosted some of the earliest examples of Secessionist and historicist architecture in the city, with notable buildings erected along its banks. [4]
Throughout the 20th century, the street underwent numerous name changes reflecting the shifting political landscape: [5]
- 1919: Renamed Obala vojvode Stepe Stepanovića after the Serbian military leader Stepa Stepanović.
- 1941–1945: Under Axis occupation during World War II, it was named Obala Adolfa Hitlera.
- Post-1945: The name reverted to Obala vojvode Stepe.
- 1993: During the Siege of Sarajevo, it was renamed to Obala Kulina bana in honor of Ban Kulin, a medieval Bosnian ruler best known for the Charter of Ban Kulin issued in 1189, one of the oldest diplomatic documents in the region.
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