Museum of Republika Srpska
Banja Luka's oldest museum, founded in 1930
The Museum of Republika Srpska is Banja Luka's oldest and central museum, its collections telling the story of the region's nature, archaeology, history and culture.
The museum was founded on 26 September 1930 under the name Museum of the Vrbas Banovina. Its establishment was initiated by Svetislav Tisa Milosavljević, the first Ban of the Vrbas Banovina, and its first director was the academic painter Spiridon Špiro Bocarić, a native of Budva.
Over the decades the institution changed its name several times, and it has carried its present name — the Museum of Republika Srpska — since 14 November 1992.
Collections
The museum's work is organised through several specialist departments, and its holdings today number more than 30,000 items, alongside a specialised library of over 14,000 books.
- Archaeology
- History
- Ethnology and ethnography
- Art history
- Natural sciences
Among its more unusual holdings is an ethnographic collection from the Fiji Islands in Melanesia, comprising traditional weapons, implements and jewellery.
Building and location
The museum stands in the city centre, in the House of Workers' Solidarity at 1 Đure Daničića Street, a building it shares with the National and University Library of Republika Srpska. Its permanent exhibition covers around 1,500 m². It lies just a few minutes' walk from Gospodska Street and the banks of the Vrbas.
