Yugoslav-Era Caricaturist Honoured in Montenegro

The unveiling of the plaque in Herceg Novi. Photo: BIRN.

The plaque was installed near the former Herzegovina café in the centre of Herceg Novi where Dzumhur used to sit for hours talking to friends and acquaintances.

"Dzumhur was this town symbol's and lot of our older citizens remember him sitting on his chair and telling stories. He was a man who loved this town and made it more famous," said Katic.

Dzumhur, who was born in Bosnia in 1920 and died in Herzeg Novi in 1989, was known across the former Yugoslavia for his TV travel shows and his collection of travelogues, 'Obituary of a Small Town'.

He also drew illustrations and caricatures for many Yugoslav newspapers and magazines, and was close to President Josip Broz Tito.

Although he was a famous caricaturist and television host, he was known as a bohemian with egalitarian attitudes. He was also one of the founders of a painters' retreat in the Bosnian town of Pocitelj.

The unveiling ceremony was attended by Bosnia and Herzegovina's ambassador to Montenegro, Branimir Jukic, who said the plaque was a good sign of cooperation between the two countries and of the honouring of important figures from their shared history.

Montenegro has maintained some respect for its Yugoslav past even though the country fell apart during the wars of the 1990s.

In December 2018, a bronze statue of Josip Broz Tito was installed in Podgorica's city center on the initiative of the city hall and a group of World War II communist veterans.