Emerik Blum
Engineer. Survivor. Builder of Nations.
From the ashes of Jasenovac, he built the largest company in Yugoslavia — and left a city transformed.
Discover His Story ↓ 1911 – 1984
A Life Forged in Fire
Electrical engineer · Concentration camp survivor · Founder of Energoinvest · Mayor of Sarajevo
Early Years
Emerik Blum was born on 7 August 1911 in Sarajevo, to Hungarian Jewish immigrant parents Manojlo and Cecelija. He studied in Sarajevo and Prague, earning a Bachelor of Science in Electrical Engineering from the Czech Technical University in Prague in 1939 — a feat of perseverance in an era of rising fascism across Europe.
Survival Against All Odds
On 23 June 1941, Blum was arrested by the Ustaše regime and imprisoned across a chain of concentration camps — Gospić, Pag, Krapje, Stara Gradiška, and finally Jasenovac. He survived conditions that claimed the lives of hundreds of thousands. In November 1944, he escaped — and immediately turned toward building a new world.
Gospić · Pag · Krapje · Stara Gradiška · Jasenovac
The Builder Emerges
At the age of 40, Blum became the founding director of Elektroprojekt in 1951. Seven years later, he merged it with Tvornica strojeva Stup to form Energoinvest — a company that would define an era. His methods were unorthodox for socialist Yugoslavia: in 1969, he engaged McKinsey & Company for management restructuring, established independent sales networks, and created internal R&D centres.
How One Man Built an Industrial Giant
Under Blum's leadership, Energoinvest grew from a modest workshop of 70 employees into a 42,000-strong industrial conglomerate — the largest company in the former Yugoslavia. By 1972, annual revenues reached $160 million, with growth rates of 20% per year. He invested $5–6 million annually in research and development, and cultivated talent systematically: 37 scholarship recipients by May 1954 alone.
In 1969, Blum controversially engaged McKinsey & Company — a radical move in socialist Yugoslavia — to modernise Energoinvest's management structures.
He did not build a company. He built a civilisation — and Sarajevo was its capital.
The City's First Jewish Mayor
In April 1981, Emerik Blum became the 26th Mayor of Sarajevo — and the first Jewish person ever to hold the office. During his tenure he tackled the city's chronic pollution, addressed traffic congestion, and implemented a modern trolleybus system. He also strengthened the organisational backbone of the city's beloved basketball club, USD Bosna.
Blum served on the Organising Committee for the 1984 Winter Olympics in Sarajevo — helping transform his hometown into a stage for the world.
A Life in Moments
Born in Sarajevo, Austria-Hungary
Graduated from Czech Technical University in Prague
Arrested by Ustaše; imprisoned in Jasenovac
Escaped from the concentration camp
Founded Elektroprojekt (later Energoinvest)
Merged into Energoinvest; rapid industrial expansion begins
Awarded the Sixth of April Sarajevo Award
Engaged McKinsey & Company — first in socialist Yugoslavia
Energoinvest reaches $160M revenue; 20% annual growth
Awarded the French Legion of Honour
Elected 26th Mayor of Sarajevo — first Jewish mayor
Contributed to the 1984 Winter Olympics organisation
Died in Fojnica; awarded Order of the Hero of Socialist Labour (posthumous)
A Legacy Carved in Stone and Memory
Sixth of April Award
Sarajevo's highest civic honour, awarded for extraordinary contributions to the city.
Legion of Honour
France's highest order of merit — recognition of Blum's exceptional service to industry and international cooperation.
Hero of Socialist Labour
Awarded posthumously by the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia for lifetime achievement in building the national economy.
Street in Sarajevo
A street in Sarajevo bears his name — a quiet, enduring monument in the city he loved and led.
Student Association · Czech Republic
A student association at Czech Technical University in Prague carries his name, honouring the alumnus who changed a nation.
Documentary: Blum
"Blum: Masters of Their Own Destiny" — a 2024 documentary chronicling how Blum transformed Energoinvest and reshaped Bosnia.
Blum: Masters of Their Own Destiny
Released in 2024, this documentary traces Emerik Blum's transformation of Energoinvest from a small state workshop into a Yugoslav industrial legend. The film explores not only the business story but the human one — a concentration camp survivor who rebuilt his world through sheer will and vision.