German diplomat who was EU administrator of Mostar, dies

Published April 21, 2016

Hans Koschnick, who served as the European Union's administrator of the bitterly divided Bosnian city of Mostar, has died. He was 87.

Koschnick, a Social Democrat who governed the German city-state of Bremen from 1967 to 1985, died early Thursday according to his party.

Internationally, Koschnick is probably best known for his tumultuous 20-month administration of Mostar, starting in July 1994 after months of brutal fighting.

He was often caught between the divided city's feuding Muslim Bosniacs and Catholic Croats, between whom tensions remain today.

In 1996, hundreds of Bosnian Croats attacked Koschnick's armored car, firing 10 bullets into it, after his proposal to unify the city. He resigned a short time later.

Social Democrat leader Sigmar Gabriel said Koschnick carried out his difficult task "with his usual deep humanity."

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