The translation production from so called 'minor' languages and cultures is often in the service of the importing culture due to asymmetrical relations between cultures and mostly boosted through media events such as book fairs or prizes. In the case of the import of Bosnian, Croatian or Serbian literature into German speaking countries, this applies for instance to the award of the Nobel Prize to Ivo Andric in 1961. On the basis of empirical data on translation production between 1980 and 2001, this paper analyses the role of the Yugoslavian war in the accumulation of cultural and economic capital.