Miss Irby

 

September 15th, on the 100th anniversary of her death, a memorial serice was held in Sarajevo to celebrate the life and contributions of an extraordinary English missionary: Miss Adeline Paulina Irby (known affectionally in Bosnian history as “Miss Irby”). Born in 1831, she grew up in a weathy family, and was provided with the highest education. Through her studies, she became increasingly dissatisfied with book theory, and desired to learn through work and experience. While living in London, after her parents had died, she became friends with Georgiana Muir Mackenzie from Scotland, and the two of them set out to explore 19th century Europe.

In 1859, while travelling through what is today Poland, they were arrested by Austrian officials, accused of being Russian spies and Pan-Slavic sympathizers! These two young 20somethings did not even know what Pan-Slavism was, nor who these Slavic peoples were that the Austrians were so afraid of. They were determined, upon their release, to find out the answers to these questions. A year later they began another journey, but this time their destination was the Turkish Ottoman Empire. Once having received their visas, they would travel freely for three years throughout the Balkans, which were provinces of the Ottoman Empire. They travelled through the Balkan region (Bulgaria, Bosnia, Serbia, Kosovo, Macedonia, Albania and Greece) of the Ottoman Empire.

In 1864, they published a book about their journey, which you can freely download (pdf file) by clicking: “Travels in the Slavonic Provinces of Turkey-in-Europe.” The three chapters delicated to Bosnia are definitely a great read, and will give you insights that are still relevant today.

Miss Irby would spend the rest of her life serving as a missionary to the people groups of Bosnia. She raised funds to feed thousands and opened schools for girls. Her death on September 15th, 1911, was mourned by the entire city of Sarajevo. She was a woman who loved God, and loved the Bosnians, ministering according to the needs she saw. She lived, died and was buried in Sarajevo.

Within three years of her death, political events in Sarajevo would lead the Bosnian generation she had left behind into the sufferings of World War I (1914-1918). The children of that war would grow up and fight one another in WWII (1939-1945). The children of that war would grow up to face the death and destruction of the Bosnian War (1992-1995). Bosnia is a land of warfare; otherwise it wouldn’t be Bosnia.

Upon her death, the city of Sarajevo named a street in her honor. The street, “Ulica Mis Irbina”, runs behind the Bosnian Presidential Offices, as a constant prophetic reminder of her spiritual legacy.