Together with 19 other police officers from NRW, Heinz Kurscheid spent six months in Mostar. Until a few months ago, there was still a war going on there. He remembers it clearly: one day, his office received an invitation to tender for a police operation involving officers from North Rhine-Westphalia in Mostar, Bosnia and Herzegovina. There had never been such an assignment before. "After 14 years of shift work in Bonn, I wanted to break out of the daily routine and do something completely different for once. I asked myself where the next challenge could be for me. When the job advertisement came in, it quickly became clear to me: this is it. That's what I have to do."
Observe, advise, report
The mission, which also involved officers from other German states, the German Federal Police and police forces from other EU countries, was initiated by Hans Koschnick, the EU administrator for Bosnia and Herzegovina at the time. The task: within two years, a unified police force was to be created from the various militias in Mostar. The international officers were to "accompany, observe, advise, help and report". At the time, however, no one really knew how this would actually happen. "My colleagues at the time thought I was crazy," says Kurscheid.
"Everyone knew the images from the television and at least had an idea of how confused the situation on the ground was." Another unusual aspect for the police officer was the huge media hype surrounding the German officers' mission. Newspapers, television and radio stations were already demanding statements and interviews before the officers had even reached Mostar.
A city in ruins
On October 10, 1994, the journey into the unknown began for the then 38-year-old: A three-day bus journey took him via the Croatian coastal town of Opatija to the pilgrimage site of Medugorje, located around 30 kilometers from Mostar. The international police forces were accommodated there for the duration of the mission. The briefing by the Chief of Staff took place immediately after arrival, before dinner. "He made it clear to us in no uncertain terms that there are still acts of war on the city limits, such as shelling. And that the two ethnic sides, which we were supposed to bring closer together, weren't even talking to each other yet. That was really sobering for us," recalls Heinz Kurscheid.
The next day, the officials went to Mostar for the first time. The picture they saw on the ground was one of complete destruction: 95 percent of the houses in the eastern part of the city Heinz Kurscheid in front of an armored vehicle in 1994. At that time, shelling was still to be expected. resembled ruins and were actually no longer habitable. Despite this, families lived together in very close quarters - sometimes without electricity or running water. "We were really shocked. And we asked ourselves: with what hatred must two enemies of war have clashed here? It was only now that we really realized how difficult our task would be," says Heinz Kurscheid.
Rapprochement in small steps
During the Bosnian war in the early 1990s, the city of Mostar was divided into two parts: the Croatian-western part and the Bosnian-eastern part. The Neretva River, which flows directly through Mostar, served as the border. The task now was to reunite the forces of the Bosnian Muslims on one side and the Croats on the other. International patrols were initially organized on site for this purpose. They consisted of two police officers and a translator. They then worked together in four shifts at the various checkpoints in the west and east of the city, which were manned by the local police or former military personnel. "This allowed us to make our first contacts and build up a certain amount of trust," recalls the now 63-year-old. The next step was for one of the local police officers to ride along in the patrol car. However, this patrol could initially only drive in the part of the city where the officer came from.
"If a Bosnian Muslim had come with us to the Croatian part, it could have been life-threatening for him," emphasizes Heinz Kurscheid. Only very gradually was it possible to move closer: when two local officers joined the patrol after a while - one from the eastern side and one from the western side - things became a little difficult: "At first, the person who was on the 'wrong' side had to stay in the car. It was a very cautious approach," says Heinz Kurscheid, describing the procedure.
Beautiful and terrible moments
Heinz Kurscheid is still enthusiastic about the cooperation with colleagues from other EU countries. Police officers from Italy, France, Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands were among those deployed in Mostar. "Everyone had the goal of helping and making a difference. That's why we quickly grew together as a team. We ate together, did sports and celebrated New Year's Eve. Many friendships were formed during this time." In addition to their actual work, the local officers also volunteered together: for example, they helped to build a kindergarten. The materials for this were supplied by the Technical Relief Agency, which was also on site at the time to support the local population. But Heinz Kurscheid also remembers a really delicate moment: as he was standing near a checkpoint on the city border, a grenade hit in the immediate vicinity. "When the dirt splashes in your face from the impact, you ask yourself at that moment: What are you actually doing here?"
An exciting and emotional time
Heinz Kurscheid served a total of six foreign missions, including in Tirana (Albania) and Zvornik (Bosnia and Herzegovina). He also returned to Mostar - as a member of the fourth and final contingent that completed the mission after two years. "It was incredible to see what had been achieved in those two years. By now, two officers from the eastern part and two officers from the western part were patrolling together - we were only connected to them by radio. That was a really big success," says Kurscheid.
Heinz Kurscheid associates his time abroad with many exciting, instructive and emotional moments. He has collected newspaper cuttings, photos and deployment orders from this time in two large binders - including a personal letter of thanks from the then NRW Minister of the Interior, Herbert Schnoor. He has fond memories of that time: "Even though it wasn't always easy, I haven't regretted a single moment. Experiences like that broaden your horizons. You start to see things more calmly. Problems simply take on a whole new dimension."
