During the Croatian War, Dubrovnik and the surrounding area were particularly affected by heavy fighting. The Battle of Dubrovnik began in October 1991 and lasted nine months. The targets of the attacks by the Yugoslav People’s Army were mostly civilians, as there were hardly any military installations in the region. As the region around Dubrovnik lives mainly from tourism, the destruction of many hotels and tourist facilities in and around Dubrovnik was a severe economic blow.
Tourism in southern Croatia has been revived, but many of the hotels are still lying idle and waiting to be repaired or demolished. In 2008, I photographed these idle hotels, where the traces of destruction could still be seen twenty years after the start of the Croatian War.