Kerestinec
Encyclopedia
Kerestinec is a settlement (naselje
) west of Zagreb
, in the Sveta Nedelja, Zagreb County, infamous for events in Croatia
n history. It has 1,199 inhabitants living on an area of 4.71 square kilometres (1.82 sq mi). The name of Kerestinec comes from Hungarian
word kereszt which stands for "cross".
According to historical sources, there was a wooden chapel of Holy Cross near the Erdödy castle. Since the Erdödys were a Croatian-Hungarian noble family, a lot of Hungarian words were used in that time, and this is why Kerestinec bears such a name.
, government forces led by podban (deputy viceroy) of Croatia
, Gašpar Alapić, defeated rebels in a battle near Kerestinec.
who had their base in the castle. This so-called Kerestinec rebellion was crushed by the Yugoslav army. All rebels were tried and sentenced to long term imprisonment or to death, and later, the death penalties were diminished.
, the government of Yugoslavia
built a prison near Kerestinec and used it to detain political prisoners, mainly Communists. In March 1941, at the eve of the Axis invasion, a large number of left-wing intellectuals from Zagreb were arrested and interned in Kerestinec. A few weeks later Yugoslavia collapsed and the prison was taken over by authorities of the newly formed Independent State of Croatia
. Following German invasion of USSR
, the Croatian Communist Party started a resistance movement
that would later become known as Partisans
. The Ustaša regime decided to retaliate by killing some of Kerestinec prisoners. On July 9, 1941 the first group, including Božidar Adžija
, Otokar Keršovani
and Ognjen Prica
, was executed.
The Party reacted by organizing an impromptu prison break. On July 13 the guards were overpowered and all the remaining prisoners managed to escape. But the attempt soon proved to be poorly organised and uncoordinated. Very quickly, most of the prisoners, including August Cesarec
, were recaptured and shot in Maksimir
woods.
(JNA) rocket base at Kerestinec was taken by the Croatian army in 1991. The base was used from November 1991 to 1992 as a prison camp that housed JNA soldiers, Serb volunteers, mainly from Sisak, and civilians, including women. The prison commander Stjepan Klarić took part in and encouraged his four colleagues (all five are currently in trial for war crimes) and members of the Croatian army, to use physical and psychological torture against the prisoners. There are a total of 34 people who were inflicted great suffering and violation of bodily integrity and health, including daily harassment, assaults and rapes.
of the Town of Sveta Nedelja
. Local buildings of note are the Erdödy
castle and the parish church
of the Holy Cross.
In terms of economy, Kerestinec is also the seat of several companies and numerous private enterprises.
Kerestinec is also the cultural center of Sveta Nedelja. The leader of cultural development is the local Cultural society Kerestinec
. Other groups are the Sport-fishing club "Som", "TOP" Kerestinec Football club, Volunteer Fire Department Kerestinec and several other unions.
Naselje
Naselje is a settlement in Croatia, usually translated as settlement. It is the smallest unit of Croatian territory. Individual settlements are by and large referred to as selo , while naselje is a statistical and administrative category. The units of local government in Croatia, cities and...
) west of Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, in the Sveta Nedelja, Zagreb County, infamous for events in Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
n history. It has 1,199 inhabitants living on an area of 4.71 square kilometres (1.82 sq mi). The name of Kerestinec comes from Hungarian
Hungary
Hungary , officially the Republic of Hungary , is a landlocked country in Central Europe. It is situated in the Carpathian Basin and is bordered by Slovakia to the north, Ukraine and Romania to the east, Serbia and Croatia to the south, Slovenia to the southwest and Austria to the west. The...
word kereszt which stands for "cross".
According to historical sources, there was a wooden chapel of Holy Cross near the Erdödy castle. Since the Erdödys were a Croatian-Hungarian noble family, a lot of Hungarian words were used in that time, and this is why Kerestinec bears such a name.
Early
In 1573, during the Croatian and Slovenian peasant revoltCroatian and Slovenian peasant revolt
The Croatian-Slovenian peasant revolt of 1573 was a large peasant revolt in today's Croatia and Slovenia. The revolt, sparked by cruel treatment of serfs by the baron Franjo Tahy, ended after 12 days with the defeat of the rebels and bloody retribution by the nobility.-Background:In the late 16th...
, government forces led by podban (deputy viceroy) of Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
, Gašpar Alapić, defeated rebels in a battle near Kerestinec.
Kerestinec rebellion
The pesants have rebelled once again in 1936, and this time against the Serbian gendarmerieGendarmerie
A gendarmerie or gendarmery is a military force charged with police duties among civilian populations. Members of such a force are typically called "gendarmes". The Shorter Oxford English Dictionary describes a gendarme as "a soldier who is employed on police duties" and a "gendarmery, -erie" as...
who had their base in the castle. This so-called Kerestinec rebellion was crushed by the Yugoslav army. All rebels were tried and sentenced to long term imprisonment or to death, and later, the death penalties were diminished.
World War II
Before the outbreak of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the government of Yugoslavia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
built a prison near Kerestinec and used it to detain political prisoners, mainly Communists. In March 1941, at the eve of the Axis invasion, a large number of left-wing intellectuals from Zagreb were arrested and interned in Kerestinec. A few weeks later Yugoslavia collapsed and the prison was taken over by authorities of the newly formed Independent State of Croatia
Independent State of Croatia
The Independent State of Croatia was a World War II puppet state of Nazi Germany, established on a part of Axis-occupied Yugoslavia. The NDH was founded on 10 April 1941, after the invasion of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers. All of Bosnia and Herzegovina was annexed to NDH, together with some parts...
. Following German invasion of USSR
Operation Barbarossa
Operation Barbarossa was the code name for Germany's invasion of the Soviet Union during World War II that began on 22 June 1941. Over 4.5 million troops of the Axis powers invaded the USSR along a front., the largest invasion in the history of warfare...
, the Croatian Communist Party started a resistance movement
Resistance movement
A resistance movement is a group or collection of individual groups, dedicated to opposing an invader in an occupied country or the government of a sovereign state. It may seek to achieve its objects through either the use of nonviolent resistance or the use of armed force...
that would later become known as Partisans
Partisans (Yugoslavia)
The Yugoslav Partisans, or simply the Partisans were a Communist-led World War II anti-fascist resistance movement in Yugoslavia...
. The Ustaša regime decided to retaliate by killing some of Kerestinec prisoners. On July 9, 1941 the first group, including Božidar Adžija
Božidar Adžija
Božidar Adžija was a Yugoslav left-wing politician and publicist.A native of Drniš, of Croat and Serbian descent, Adžija participated in World War I as a soldier in Austro-Hungarian Army....
, Otokar Keršovani
Otokar Keršovani
Otokar Keršovani was a Croatian and Yugoslav journalist and left-wing politician.He was born in Trieste, which was part of Austria-Hungary at a time. The collapse of Habsburg Empire caught him in Istrian town of Pazin, which was soon occupied by Italian forces and its Croatian school closed...
and Ognjen Prica
Ognjen Prica
Ognjen Prica was a Yugoslav left-wing politician.A native of Ilidža , Prica became interested in politics while studying mathematics and physics at University of Zagreb. In 1921 he became the member of Communist Party of Yugoslavia and one of the founders of SKOJ - Communist Youth League of...
, was executed.
The Party reacted by organizing an impromptu prison break. On July 13 the guards were overpowered and all the remaining prisoners managed to escape. But the attempt soon proved to be poorly organised and uncoordinated. Very quickly, most of the prisoners, including August Cesarec
August Cesarec
August Cesarec was a Croatian writer and left-wing politician.Cesarec was born in Zagreb, which was part of Austria-Hungary at a time. As a high school student he was involved in radical nationalist politics and joined the group that tried to assassinate Croatian ban Slavko Cuvaj...
, were recaptured and shot in Maksimir
Maksimir
Maksimir is one of the neighborhoods of Zagreb, Croatia. Maksimir stadium and Maksimir Park are located in it. It was named after the bishop Maksimilijan Vrhovac....
woods.
Yugoslav Wars
The former Yugoslav ArmyYugoslav Army
Aside from the Yugoslav People's Army, the terms Yugoslav Army, Army of Yugoslavia, or Military of Yugoslavia may refer to:* Yugoslav Partisans , the Yugoslav resistance army during World War II...
(JNA) rocket base at Kerestinec was taken by the Croatian army in 1991. The base was used from November 1991 to 1992 as a prison camp that housed JNA soldiers, Serb volunteers, mainly from Sisak, and civilians, including women. The prison commander Stjepan Klarić took part in and encouraged his four colleagues (all five are currently in trial for war crimes) and members of the Croatian army, to use physical and psychological torture against the prisoners. There are a total of 34 people who were inflicted great suffering and violation of bodily integrity and health, including daily harassment, assaults and rapes.
Today
Today, Kerestinec is one of the settlementsNaselje
Naselje is a settlement in Croatia, usually translated as settlement. It is the smallest unit of Croatian territory. Individual settlements are by and large referred to as selo , while naselje is a statistical and administrative category. The units of local government in Croatia, cities and...
of the Town of Sveta Nedelja
Sveta Nedelja
Sveta Nedelja can refer to:* Sveta Nedelja, Istria, a municipality in Croatia* Sveta Nedelja, Zagreb County, a village and a municipality in Croatia* Sveta Neđelja, an island in Montenegro...
. Local buildings of note are the Erdödy
Erdody
Erdődy is the name of a Hungarian noble family in the Kingdom of Hungary . The Habsburg Monarchy granted them the title Graf / Gräfin....
castle and the parish church
Parish church
A parish church , in Christianity, is the church which acts as the religious centre of a parish, the basic administrative unit of episcopal churches....
of the Holy Cross.
In terms of economy, Kerestinec is also the seat of several companies and numerous private enterprises.
Kerestinec is also the cultural center of Sveta Nedelja. The leader of cultural development is the local Cultural society Kerestinec
Cultural society Kerestinec
Cultural society "Kerestinec" was founded as a part of "Seljačka sloga" society in 1932. In the first years, the society was working as a singing choir of amateurs, and in 1934., an amateur tambura orchestra was founded. After World War II, the society bears name KUD "Bratstvo" Kerestinec, and in...
. Other groups are the Sport-fishing club "Som", "TOP" Kerestinec Football club, Volunteer Fire Department Kerestinec and several other unions.