Inat Kuca, Sarajevo, Bosnia

This famous Sarajevo landmark is well known as representing the proudness or spite of the Bosnian character. It is named Inat Kuca — the Spite House and became a fine traditional Bosnian restaurant in 1997. When the Austro-Hungarian monarchy came to power in Bosnia and Herzegovina, it built numerous buildings such as the Post Office, the National Museum and the Faculty of Law. But when they started the construction of the City Hall in 1892, they encountered the defiance and stubbornness of a native Bosnian.

The planned location for the construction of the City Hall was to be on the side of the river Miljacka. The ruling monarchy wanted to construct an impressive building that had not been seen before in Sarajevo, in order to demonstrate to its citizens their strength and power.

To construct the City Hall required the demolition of the surrounding buildings, including one house belonging to an old man named Benderija. However he absolutely refused to move or have his house destroyed, because he had made it his own castle and palace of peace. Despite holding out, after long drawn-out negotiations he finally agreed that the Monarchy could have the land the house was built upon — only if they moved the entire house to the other side of the river and rebuilt it entirely, brick by brick, stone by stone. Not only that, out of spite he also requested that the Monarchy pay him a bag of gold coins to ensure his future prosperity.

They agreed to the old man’s stubborn demands, and the house became known all over Bosnia as Inat Kuca — the Spite House, to signify one man’s stubborn and spiteful defiance against the ruling classes.