Emerik Blum: A Sarajevan Who Introduced Yugoslavia to the World Market

SARAJEVO, (Patria) - Today marks the 34th anniversary of the death of one of BiH's greatest historical figures, Emerik Blum.

Born in 1911 in Sarajevo. He then studied in the Czech Republic, graduated in electrical engineering from the Faculty of Technology in Prague, and finally returned to Sarajevo.

Emerik Blum will certainly be remembered as a historical figure of the city of Sarajevo, after spending most of his life at the head of Energoinvest – a company that once formed the backbone of the Bosnian and Herzegovinian economy.

Shortly after returning to Sarajevo from his studies in the Czech Republic (1941), Blum was arrested and taken to the Jasenovac camp, where he maintained the power plant as a prisoner-engineer. He escaped from Jasenovac in 1944. Together with Oskar Danon, Meša Selimović, Ismet Mujezinović, and Vojo Dimitrijević, he founded Collegium Artisticum.

After World War II, Emerik Blum served as head of the Ministry of Industry and Mining of Bosnia and Herzegovina, chief engineer of the General Directorate of the Federal Electric Power Industry, general director of the Directorate for Electric Power of the Government of FPR Yugoslavia, assistant minister of Electric Power, president of the Committee for Electric Power, and more.

He was one of the founders of the company Elektroprojekt (1951), which soon became the regional giant Energoinvest, operating worldwide.

He provided scholarships and trained specialists of various technical profiles and introduced the permanent practice of specialization for domestic experts in Russia, the USA, Germany, France, England, and other countries.

Reportedly, Blum never belonged to any political parties and did not engage in politics. He created one of the most successful Yugoslav companies, educated and employed thousands of people, opened Yugoslavia to the world and the world to Yugoslavia, and showed the potential of a small country.

Emerik Blum was the mayor during Sarajevo's greatest period of prosperity, from 1981 to 1983. He died on June 24, 1984, after completing his final tasks on the committee for the organization of the 14th Winter Olympic Games in Sarajevo.

One of the streets in Grbavica in Sarajevo today bears his name, and his bust has been placed in front of the Energoinvest building.