Vladimir Perić Valter

Monument of Valter Perić in Sarajevo

Vladimir "Valter" Perić (1919 in Prijepolje – April 6, 1945 in Sarajevo) was the resistance leader in Sarajevo during Second World War.

Valter was born in Prijepolje (present-day Serbia) in 1919. After completing his economics degree, he began to work in a Sarajevo bank in 1940. During this time, he joined the Communist Party Committee for the city of Sarajevo. During the war, he stayed in Sarajevo until 1942, when he escaped to the liberated territories controlled by Partisans. He subsequently became a deputy commander of the Zenica Partisan detachment. Later on, he became the commander of a battalion in the 6th Eastern Bosnian brigade. In 1943 he was ordered to return to Sarajevo and to take command of an underground partisan group which was tasked to drive out any Axis powers from the city.

Valter was killed by a mortar grenade in the fighting on the day of Sarajevo's liberation, April 6, 1945. He has since become something of a city icon, having the film Valter brani Sarajevo (Valter defends Sarajevo) named after him.

Trivia

• People still remember a famous quote from the movie Valter brani Sarajevo, when the Gestapo tried to find Valter in Sarajevo, one SS Colonel on the hill upon the city tells them: "Sehen Sie diese Stadt? Das ist Walter!" (Do you see this city? This is Valter!).

• In China, Valter's name is printed on the beer sticker, with the photo of the actor in the movie, Bata Živojinović.^{[citation needed]}

• Elementary school in Prijepolje is named after Valter.

• Song by Dubioza Kolektiv is named "Vratiće se Valter" (Walter will be back)

See also

• Serbs of Sarajevo

External links

• An article on Valter Peric
• Valter brani Sarajevo (1972) at the Internet Movie Database