The second half of the 19th century is an important reform period in the history of BiH towards industrialization and modernization. One of the key figures who started this process is Bosnian governor and vizier Topal Serif Osman Pasha (1861 to 1869).

Following the orders of Sultan, Topal Serif Osman Pasha started a major reform in the former Bosnian vilayet. Historical documents confirmed that he was a pioneer in the creation of modern urbanism in Sarajevo.

With the occupation of BiH in 1878, Austria-Hungary came into the possession of large natural resources, among which were forests. The new organization of forestry and forest service were subordinated to the main goal, and that was quick and intense exploitation of Bosnian forests.

For the purpose of exploitation of beech and oak forests for the production of railroad ties, cutting was primarily focused on forest complexes: Grmeč, Crna gora, Šator, Vijenac, Risovac, Plješevica, Pastrijevo, Šiša, Palež, Čemernica and Manjača in western part of BiH, then Prosara, Motajica, Vučjak, Ozren, Konjuh, Usora, Nemila, Igman, Ivan Bitovnja, Donja Prača and the other in the northern and central parts of BiH, the Sarajevo region or area, emphasized Srecko Ignjatovic in his study.

In the period of Austro-Hungarian rule (1878 – 1918) in BiH, on area of about 51,000 km2 of which two thirds were under the trees, the capitalists (the exploiters in the service of the monarchy) managed to cut about 18.5 million m3 of wood, which according to contractual obligations amounts to about 52 % of turnover.

Otto Steinbeis during forest exploitation since the founding of the company until the of World War II, built the main railway routes which transported wood, on a distance of about 346 km of track on the locomotive drive, plus another 80 km of gravity railroad. As the focal point and hub was determined area of Srnetice, which was connected to the state railway over Sanski Most to Prijedor zto the main railway to Dobrljin, with other railway over Ostrelj, Drvar and Tiškovac with Knin to Sibenik and with the third railway over Mlinište with Jajce.

Photos in the gallery represent rare fundus of photographs arranged in two parts. The source contains photos of two (purchased on the collector’s market) family albums, that were created in the Kingdom of SHS-Yugoslavia in the period from 1925 to 1933.

(Source: klix.ba/Photo: Srecko Ignjatovic)