Intercultural impact of Czech architects on architectural discourse and education in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Intercultural impact on architectural discourse and education is currently very evident and beneficial, as we are instantly engaged and intertwined in this contemporary globalized world. However, the beginnings of these intercultural exchanges in previous centuries have had profound effects on European culture and cityscapes, and sometimes intensely influences its outcomes even today. One such encounter is presented in this research, a respectful and meaningful meeting of cultures that resulted in a unique architectural style and educational paradigm. The Austro-Hungarian occupation, followed by the formal annexation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (1878.-1918.) is a period of profound social changes, after centuries of the feudal order, best reflected in architecture and education. Among others, Czech architects have arrived with the new Monarchy to live and work, and each left a personal, stylistically different mark on the architectural mosaic of the country. At the beginning of their careers, they encountered an oriental culture, that they wanted to transform and adapt to Central European spirit and lifestyle. Karel Pařík, as the author of numerous structures, stayed mostly within the domain of interpretations of eclecticism, while Karel Pánek and František Blažek make a step towards new fresh fin-de-siècle style. A synonym for the Art Nouveau movement is Alphonse Mucha, who by painting murals in the pavilion of Bosnia and Herzegovina for the 1900 Exposition Universelle in Paris, got international attention to the country's Slavic roots and their new European identity. Deep impact is left by Jan Kotěra, an architect that designed a building, a sort of a prelude to early modernism in Sarajevo. Architect Josip Pospíšil, has immersed himself deeply into the essence of the ottoman vernacular building and became one of the pioneers in creating a unique merged Bosnian style. He will be followed by many protagonists of a very recognizable Sarajevo School of Architecture in the second half of the 20th century. Besides successful careers, most of these architects take an active role in cultural, social, and especially in the educational development of Bosnia and Herzegovina. This paper explores this link, initiated by Technical High school in 1889, with Czech architects as lecturers. After the First world war, some of these students continue their education at the Czech High Technical school in Prague. This is a core group of four individuals that established the first Technical University in 1949 with Architecture and Civil Engineering as key departments. The paper explores this multicultural link and emancipation role of the Czech architects on the formation and profiling of specific architectural language and education at the Faculty of Architecture in Sarajevo. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]