What Remains After War

What happens to a person when war fundamentally changes their life? How do experiences of danger, loss, and forced displacement shape the decades that follow? And can a person regain a sense of safety, home, and identity after such an experience?

These questions were explored in the study Long-term psychological effects of war trauma and migration: an interpretative phenomenological analysis of Balkan war survivors, which examined the life stories of four civilian survivors of the wars in the former Yugoslavia who had settled in the Czech Republic. Through in-depth interviews, the researchers sought to understand how these individuals viewed their wartime experiences decades later, how the war had shaped their subsequent lives, and how these experiences intersected with migration, family relationships, and the search for personal identity.

Unlike studies based on questionnaires and statistical comparisons between groups, this research used interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA). This qualitative method focuses on personal experience and how individuals make sense of what has happened to them. The aim is not to determine how many people experience particular symptoms, but to develop an in-depth understanding of how challenging life events shape their personal stories, relationships, and worldviews.

War as a period of survival

Participants described the war as a fundamental rupture in their lives. The everyday routines they had previously taken for granted were replaced by uncertainty, restrictions, and a focus on basic needs and safety. One of the central themes emerging from the interviews was the idea that, although people survived the war, they were unable to fully live their lives during that time. Their wartime experiences continued to influence their decisions and their approach to life long after the conflict had ended.

Close relationships and daily routines played an important role during this period, helping participants maintain some sense of normality. The stage of life at which a person experienced the war also mattered. The experience of an adolescent just beginning to establish independence may differ considerably from that of an adult responsible for children and other family members.

Lasting consequences

Although decades had passed since the war, its traces remained part of the participants' lives. Some described persistent vigilance and fears that violence might happen again. Sounds or situations reminiscent of wartime events, such as aircraft noise or sirens, could trigger renewed feelings of danger. Their wartime experiences also shaped how they viewed political developments, social change, and security in the wider world.

The long-term consequences, however, were not limited to fear and painful memories. Participants also reflected on how the war had changed them, which values it had led them to reconsider, and what they had learned from the experience. Alongside ongoing difficulties, their accounts revealed signs of what is known as post-traumatic growth - positive changes that may develop in some people as they come to terms with an exceptionally challenging experience. Painful consequences and personal growth are not mutually exclusive; they can coexist.

Migration: a new beginning, but also a search for home

For the participants, migration was more than simply moving to another country. It offered an opportunity to escape violence, limited opportunities, or post-war stagnation and build a new life. At the same time, it meant separation from family, the loss of familiar surroundings, and the need to adapt to a new society. For some, the decision to leave and the process of starting over became a long-term journey without a clear endpoint.

This was closely connected to the search for identity and a sense of belonging. What does home mean when a person lives in another country, while their past, family, and cultural roots remain connected to the place they left behind? Some participants described struggling to find a clear answer to where they came from and where they belonged. They might no longer fully identify with their original national identity, yet did not simply feel Czech either. Others maintained a strong connection to the Balkans, its culture, way of life, and interpersonal relationships.

The study therefore suggests that migration does not end when a person arrives in a new country. It can continue to shape their relationship with their past, their family, and the places and people among whom they feel at home.

What do subsequent generations inherit from wartime experiences?

Wartime experiences also shaped how participants thought about their children and their future. Some sought to pass on not only their personal stories but also lessons they believed could help their children recognise warning signs of social instability or political violence. They wanted their children to understand that even a seemingly safe situation can change.

Passing on such experiences may be one way in which the legacy of war reaches the next generation. This transmission involves more than memories of specific events; it can also shape attitudes towards safety, trust, risk, and preparedness for potential threats.

Understanding the person beyond their experiences

The study shows that the long-term consequences of war and migration cannot be understood as isolated events with a clear beginning and end. They intertwine with subsequent life experiences, family relationships, cultural roots, and changes in identity. A person may continue to struggle with feelings of danger and uncertainty while also finding new opportunities in life, reconsidering their values, and building a new home.

Because the study examined only four individuals in depth, its findings cannot be generalised to all survivors of the wars in the former Yugoslavia. Its value lies in offering insight into personal stories that questionnaires alone might not capture and demonstrating how varied the ways of coming to terms with a wartime past can be.