Historical Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina was founded on 13. November 1945. by the law on founding of Museum of national Liberation in Sarajevo. The initiative to establish Museum was undertaken by decree of Presidency of People Assembly of Bosnia and Herzegovina. At that time, Museum was situated in National library in Town Hall (Vijeanica). Since 1963. Museum is situated in building specially built for such purpose. Museum changed its name several times and cronologically expanded the borders of its researching and collecting work towards past and present. In 1949. Museum was named as a Museum of national revolution of Bosnia and Herzegovina, in 1967. Museum of Revolution of B&H, and, finally,by the Law on Museum activity, adopted in June 1993., Museum was renamed in Histirical Museum of Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Thematic structure of museum, as a central institution for researching and museological displaying of history of Bosnia and Hertegovina takes period from coming Slavs on Balkan Peninsula, creating the first medieval South Slavic states, and particular Medieval Bosnian State (Bosnia as a regional unit ruled by a ban, and Bosnia as a Kingdom), Bosnia under Otoman rule (1463-1878.), period of Austro-Hungarian rule (1878-1918.), Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1918-1945., Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1945-1990., and particular area of researching and prezentation is period Bosnia and Herzegovina from 1990. untill present. According to the Law on Museum activity, Museum are perfoming its fundametal social and cultural purpose with researching and collecting of Museum material relating to all periods of history of B&H . Collected material , Museum processing professionally and systematizing it in its collections. Museum also organizing permanent, thematic and movable exhibitions, publishing professional, scientific, scintific-popular publications, catalogus etc., cooperating with other museums in B&H and abroad. Museum also has educational role in general cultural raising of school children, youth and adults.

With its work on researching and collecting, which is the permanent activity of Museum since it was founded, Museum established fund with approximatelly 400.000 museum items, documents, photographs, art works, of different value for history of B&H, out of which are great numbers of rarities. All museum material are organized in six museums collections: Collection of Archive documents, Collection of Photographs, Collection of threedimenzional objects , Collection of art works, Library, and Documentation center. All museum collectins are available to the scientific, professional, cultural and public workers, students and schoolchildren from our country and abroad. Working on researching of theory and practice of museum proffesion. Museum gave exceptional contribution in developing of museology as a Scientific discipline in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

Historical Museum Journal "Collection of works" was the only professional publication in Bosnia and Herzegovina with its contributions from museum theory and practice. Untill this recent wae, with direct work and professional supervision of our museum, a whole network of museum of new history were established in entire territory of B&H. In the past 60 years of existing and working, this museum realized 125 tematic exhibitions, 3 permanent museums displays, and numeruos permanent museum displays of memorial museums. Today, museum works in very difficult material situation, especially has the problem with lack of professional staff.

This is the only museum that treats entire hisory of B&H from the first mentioning of Bosniain historica sources (in work of Constantin Porfirogenit from 949. "De administrando imperio") untill present. In this moment Museum has two permanent thematic exhibition displays: "Bosnia and Herzegovina through the centuries" and "Surounded Sarajevo"