An antiquarian from Serbia, Stojan Matic, returned valuable artwork he found at a flea market in Vienna which was stolen from a museum in Bosnia during the 1992-95 war.

The 32 illustrations, as well as sketches by Bozidar Jakac, were stolen from the Museum of the 2nd AVNOJ session (Anti-Fascist Council for the People’s Liberation of Yugoslavia) during the war.

The museum, established in 1953 and located in the picturesque town of Jajce, commemorates the 1943 meeting of leaders of the communist anti-fascist movement there led by Josip Broz Tito, which effectively established the post-war federal Yugoslavia.

Matic, from Novi Sad, bought them at a flea market in Vienna and decided to return them to Bosnia, with help from renowned BiH actor Emir Hadzihafizbegovic.

Hadzihafizbegovic said that Matic’s move represents a “historic event” and announced the possibility of working on a feature film about it.

The director of the Museum, Emsada Leko, expressed her gratitude that the artwork was returned to where they belong.