{"id":5235,"date":"2026-02-11T10:33:06","date_gmt":"2026-02-11T10:33:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.muzejsarajeva.ba\/?p=5235"},"modified":"2026-03-03T11:47:29","modified_gmt":"2026-03-03T11:47:29","slug":"despica-kuca-kao-svjedocanstvo-zivota-porodice-despic","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.muzejsarajeva.ba\/en\/2026\/02\/11\/despica-kuca-kao-svjedocanstvo-zivota-porodice-despic\/","title":{"rendered":"The Despi\u0107 House as a Witness to the Life of the Despi\u0107 Family"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Despi\u0107 House, one of the annexes of the Museum of Sarajevo, is a representative example of the residential culture of the Serbian merchant class from the late 18th to the early 20th century. Located on the right bank of the Miljacka River, it was built in several phases and periods, and its additions and adaptations testify to the development of Sarajevo\u2019s civic life.<\/p>\n

The house belonged to the distinguished Despi\u0107 merchant family, which played a significant role in the economic, political and cultural life of the city. The progenitor of the family, Risto Slijep\u010devi\u0107, came to Sarajevo from Gata\u010dko polje to learn the furrier\u2019s craft. After marrying Despa Despi\u0107, their descendants adopted their mother\u2019s surname and established one of the wealthiest merchant families in Sarajevo\u2019s bazaar.<\/p>\n

Among the family members, Had\u017ei-Makso Despi\u0107 stands out as its most prominent figure. He was born, lived and died in the Despi\u0107 House. His life spanned three different states \u2014 the Ottoman Empire, the Austro-Hungarian Monarchy and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia. As a successful merchant, he travelled to many countries, made two pilgrimages to Jerusalem and recorded his experiences in his memoirs. He also served as the city treasurer during the Ottoman administration and, following the arrival of Austro-Hungarian rule, was part of a delegation that visited Emperor Franz Joseph.<\/p>\n

His testament from 1921, which opens the museum exhibition in the Despi\u0107 House, reflects Orthodox funeral customs in Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as his personal views on modesty and the transience of material wealth, emphasizing the importance of spiritual values.<\/p>\n

From the Photo Library of the Museum of Sarajevo: Makso and Zlatka Despi\u0107 in the courtyard of the Despi\u0107 House.<\/p>\n

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