Emerik Blum

In memoriam

Bosnian-Herzegovinian statesman, politician, philanthropist and entrepreneur, business magnate, mayor of Sarajevo, founder and first director of "Energoinvest", one of the former largest conglomerates in Eastern Europe. Emerik Blum (Sarajevo, August 7, 1911 – Fojnica, June 24, 1984) was a Bosnian politician, philanthropist, and entrepreneur hailing from a Jewish background. He is most notably recognized as the founder and inaugural director of Energoinvest, a prominent conglomerate in Eastern Europe. Blum, wedded to pianist Matusja Blum, emerged from humble beginnings in Sarajevo, maturing into a figure of prominence. Educated in Czechoslovakia, he attained a degree in electrical engineering from the Technical Faculty in Prague before returning to Sarajevo. In his youth, alongside Oskar Dan, Meša Selimović, Ismet Mujezinović, and Voj Dimitrijević, he co-founded the Collegium Artistucum. Blum's involvement in politics deepened when he joined the Communist Party of Yugoslavia (KPJ) in 1941. During the tumultuous era of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH), he actively participated in the National Liberation War (NOB). However, his communist affiliation led to his arrest in Sarajevo, resulting in a perilous journey through imprisonment and internment camps. Miraculously surviving, Blum orchestrated a daring escape from the Jasenovac camp in 1944, subsequently rejoining the People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia. Post-war, Blum's influence extended across various spheres, from serving as the head of the Ministry of Industry and Mining of the SR Bosnia and Herzegovina to spearheading initiatives in the electric industry. He played a pivotal role in the establishment and expansion of "Elektroprojekt," which later burgeoned into the international powerhouse, Energoinvest. Blum's legacy transcends his entrepreneurial endeavors, as evidenced by his tenure as the mayor of Sarajevo during its zenith from 1981 to 1983. He passed away in 1984, following his dedicated service to the XIV. Winter Olympic Games in Sarajevo. In recognition of his contributions, Blum was bestowed with the title of Knight of the Legion of Honor by France in 1974. His memory endures through the naming of a street in Sarajevo's Grbavica neighborhood and the installation of a bust outside the Energoinvest building. The esteemed Financial Times aptly described Emerik Blum as the epitome of socialist entrepreneurship.

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