Food Supply of the City of Sarajevo during World War II

Abstract

The paper, mainly based on sources from the Croatian State Archives in Zagreb, illustrates how the food supply of Sarajevo was organized during World War II, when the city was part of the Independent State of Croatia (Nezavisna Država Hrvatska, NDH). At that time, Sarajevo had approximately 80,000 inhabitants, but during the war, a large number of Muslim refugees from eastern Bosnia also resided in the city, fleeing their homes from insurgent attacks.

Due to continuous insurgent warfare and other wartime conditions, the authorities of the NDH were generally unable to provide enough food for the entire population. These general issues were also evident in the food supply of Sarajevo. The authorities aimed to ensure a rationed supply of food to the city's residents at moderate prices. This food had to be transported to Sarajevo from other parts of the country, specifically Slavonia and Syrmia. Due to various constraints in railway transport caused by insurgent attacks and later also by Allied air attacks, the transportation of food to Sarajevo was irregular and insufficient.

The rationed supply method functioned from 1941 to 1943 although with numerous problems. During that period the Sarajevo population received food irregularly and in insufficient quantities. However, the situation further deteriorated during 1944 and down to the end of the war. In this last period the rationed supply system almost ceased to function and private entrepreneurs – middlemen and traders – assumed the main role in the supply of Sarajevo. They were able to supply the city with sizeable amounts of foodstuffs, but prices of goods on the free market were extremely high and constantly rising. Although authorities took measures against price gouging and various malpractices, they were unable to prevent traders from continuing to raise food prices.

All the data indicate that the lack of food, or the availability of food only at exceptionally high prices, was a significant problem for a considerable portion of the Sarajevo population during the war. Nevertheless, their situation was better than that of numerous Muslim refugees who resided in Sarajevo during the war, among whom there were cases of death due to starvation.