The Holocaust in Croatia
Encyclopedia
The Holocaust in Croatia refers to the genocide of Jews
during World War II
within the modern borders of the Republic of Croatia, and in a wider sense the World War II-era Independent State of Croatia
.
signed the Tripartite Pact
, allying the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
with the Axis powers
. Prince Paul was overthrown, and a new anti-German government under Peter II
and Dušan Simović
took power. The new government withdrew its support for the Axis, but did not repudiate the Tripartite Pact
. Nevertheless, Axis forces, led by Nazi Germany
invaded Yugoslavia
in April 1941.
The Independent State of Croatia
was proclaimed by the Ustaše
on 10 April 1941. Within the new state lived approximately 40,000 Jews, only 9,000 of whom would ultimately survive the war.
The destruction of the Sephardic synagogue in Sarajevo
was carried out by German soldiers soon after their arrival in the city on 15 April. The Sarajevo Haggadah
was the most important artifact which survived this period. The demolition of the Zagreb Synagogue
was ordered by mayor Ivan Werner and was carried out from 10 October 1941 to April 1942. The two Jewish football clubs in the state, ŽGiŠK Makabi Zagreb and ŽŠK Makabi Osijek, were banned in 1941.
There were no major arrests of Jews in Osijek
in 1941. In April 1942, the Jews of Osijek were forced to build a Jewish settlement at Tenja
, into which they were settled along with Jews from the surrounding region. Approximately 3,000 Jews were settled at Tenja in June and July 1942. Due to the poor conditions in the settlement, 200 Jews were transported to Jasenovac
and 2,800 to Auschwitz
.
On 5 May 1943, Hermann Göring
paid a short visit to Zagreb in which he held talks with Ante Pavelić
. Starting on 7 May, a roundup of the remaining Jews in Zagreb was carried out by the Gestapo
under the command of Franz Abromeit. During this period, archbishop Stepinac offered the head rabbi in Zagreb Miroslav Šalom Freiberger
help to escape the roundup, which he ultimately declined. The operation lasted for the following week, and resulted in the capture of 1,700 Jews from Zagreb and 300 from the surrounding area. All of these people were taken to the Auschwitz concentration camp
.
After the capitulation of Italy on 8 September 1943, Nazi Germany annexed the Croat-populated Italian provinces of Pula
and Rijeka
into its Operational Zone Adriatic Coast. On 25 January 1944, the Germans demolished the Jewish synagogue in Rijeka. The region of Međimurje had been annexed by the Kingdom of Hungary
in 1941. In April 1944, the Jews of Međimurje were taken to a camp in Nagykanizsa where they were held until their transport to Auschwitz. An estimated 540 Međimurje Jews were killed in Auschwitz, while 29 were killed at Jasenovac.
On 5 May 1945, the Legal Decree on the Equalization of Members of the NDH Based on Racial Origin (Zakonska odredba o izjednačavanju pripadnika NDH s obzirom na rasnu pripadnost) was declared which repealed the racial laws enacted over the course of the war.
as Righteous among the Nations
. They include Žarko Dolinar
and Mate Ujević
.
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
during World War II
World 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...
within the modern borders of the Republic of Croatia, and in a wider sense the World War II-era 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...
.
Background
On 25 March 1941, Prince Paul of YugoslaviaPrince Paul of Yugoslavia
Prince Paul of Yugoslavia, also known as Paul Karađorđević , was Regent of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia during the minority of King Peter II. Peter was the eldest son of his first cousin Alexander I...
signed the Tripartite Pact
Tripartite Pact
The Tripartite Pact, also the Three-Power Pact, Axis Pact, Three-way Pact or Tripartite Treaty was a pact signed in Berlin, Germany on September 27, 1940, which established the Axis Powers of World War II...
, allying the Kingdom 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...
with the Axis powers
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
. Prince Paul was overthrown, and a new anti-German government under Peter II
Peter II of Yugoslavia
Peter II, also known as Peter II Karađorđević , was the third and last King of Yugoslavia...
and Dušan Simović
Dušan Simovic
Dušan T. Simović was a Yugoslav general who served as chief of the air force and commander-in-chief of the Royal Yugoslav Army and as the Prime Minister of Yugoslavia.-Life and career:...
took power. The new government withdrew its support for the Axis, but did not repudiate the Tripartite Pact
Tripartite Pact
The Tripartite Pact, also the Three-Power Pact, Axis Pact, Three-way Pact or Tripartite Treaty was a pact signed in Berlin, Germany on September 27, 1940, which established the Axis Powers of World War II...
. Nevertheless, Axis forces, led by Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
invaded Yugoslavia
Invasion of Yugoslavia
The Invasion of Yugoslavia , also known as the April War , was the Axis Powers' attack on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia which began on 6 April 1941 during World War II...
in April 1941.
The 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...
was proclaimed by the Ustaše
Ustaše
The Ustaša - Croatian Revolutionary Movement was a Croatian fascist anti-Yugoslav separatist movement. The ideology of the movement was a blend of fascism, Nazism, and Croatian nationalism. The Ustaše supported the creation of a Greater Croatia that would span to the River Drina and to the border...
on 10 April 1941. Within the new state lived approximately 40,000 Jews, only 9,000 of whom would ultimately survive the war.
The Holocaust
The main race laws in the Independent State of Croatia were adopted on 30 April 1941: the Legal Decree on Racial Origins (Zakonska odredba o rasnoj pripadnosti) and the Legal Decree on the Protection of Aryan Blood and the Honour of the Croatian People (Zakonska odredba o zaštiti arijske krvi i časti hrvatskog naroda). The Legal Decree on the Nationalization of the Property of Jews and Jewish Companies was declared on 10 October 1941.The destruction of the Sephardic synagogue in Sarajevo
Sarajevo
Sarajevo |Bosnia]], surrounded by the Dinaric Alps and situated along the Miljacka River in the heart of Southeastern Europe and the Balkans....
was carried out by German soldiers soon after their arrival in the city on 15 April. The Sarajevo Haggadah
Sarajevo Haggadah
The Sarajevo Haggadah is an illuminated manuscript that contains the illustrated traditional text of the Passover Haggadah which accompanies the Passover Seder. It is one of the oldest Sephardic Haggadahs in the world, originating in Barcelona around 1350. The Haggadah is presently owned by the...
was the most important artifact which survived this period. The demolition of the Zagreb Synagogue
Zagreb synagogue
The Zagreb Synagogue was the main place of worship for the Jewish community of Zagreb in modern-day Croatia, from its construction in 1867 in the Kingdom of Croatia-Slavonia within the Austrian Empire, until its demolition by the fascist authorities in 1941 in the Axis-aligned Independent State of...
was ordered by mayor Ivan Werner and was carried out from 10 October 1941 to April 1942. The two Jewish football clubs in the state, ŽGiŠK Makabi Zagreb and ŽŠK Makabi Osijek, were banned in 1941.
There were no major arrests of Jews in Osijek
Osijek
Osijek is the fourth largest city in Croatia with a population of 83,496 in 2011. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja county...
in 1941. In April 1942, the Jews of Osijek were forced to build a Jewish settlement at Tenja
Tenja
Tenja is a village in eastern Slavonia, Croatia, located just southeast of Osijek. The population is 7,401.-References:...
, into which they were settled along with Jews from the surrounding region. Approximately 3,000 Jews were settled at Tenja in June and July 1942. Due to the poor conditions in the settlement, 200 Jews were transported to Jasenovac
Jasenovac concentration camp
Jasenovac concentration camp was the largest extermination camp in the Independent State of Croatia and occupied Yugoslavia during World War II...
and 2,800 to Auschwitz
Auschwitz concentration camp
Concentration camp Auschwitz was a network of Nazi concentration and extermination camps built and operated by the Third Reich in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany during World War II...
.
On 5 May 1943, Hermann Göring
Hermann Göring
Hermann Wilhelm Göring, was a German politician, military leader, and a leading member of the Nazi Party. He was a veteran of World War I as an ace fighter pilot, and a recipient of the coveted Pour le Mérite, also known as "The Blue Max"...
paid a short visit to Zagreb in which he held talks with Ante Pavelić
Ante Pavelic
Ante Pavelić was a Croatian fascist leader, revolutionary, and politician. He ruled as Poglavnik or head, of the Independent State of Croatia , a World War II puppet state of Nazi Germany in Axis-occupied Yugoslavia...
. Starting on 7 May, a roundup of the remaining Jews in Zagreb was carried out by the Gestapo
Gestapo
The Gestapo was the official secret police of Nazi Germany. Beginning on 20 April 1934, it was under the administration of the SS leader Heinrich Himmler in his position as Chief of German Police...
under the command of Franz Abromeit. During this period, archbishop Stepinac offered the head rabbi in Zagreb Miroslav Šalom Freiberger
Miroslav Šalom Freiberger
Miroslav Šalom Freiberger was chief rabbi of Zagreb and a catechist, translator, writer and spiritual leader. He was educated as a lawyer and doctor of theology.-Biography:...
help to escape the roundup, which he ultimately declined. The operation lasted for the following week, and resulted in the capture of 1,700 Jews from Zagreb and 300 from the surrounding area. All of these people were taken to the Auschwitz concentration camp
Auschwitz concentration camp
Concentration camp Auschwitz was a network of Nazi concentration and extermination camps built and operated by the Third Reich in Polish areas annexed by Nazi Germany during World War II...
.
After the capitulation of Italy on 8 September 1943, Nazi Germany annexed the Croat-populated Italian provinces of Pula
Pula
Pula is the largest city in Istria County, Croatia, situated at the southern tip of the Istria peninsula, with a population of 62,080 .Like the rest of the region, it is known for its mild climate, smooth sea, and unspoiled nature. The city has a long tradition of winemaking, fishing,...
and Rijeka
Rijeka
Rijeka is the principal seaport and the third largest city in Croatia . It is located on Kvarner Bay, an inlet of the Adriatic Sea and has a population of 128,735 inhabitants...
into its Operational Zone Adriatic Coast. On 25 January 1944, the Germans demolished the Jewish synagogue in Rijeka. The region of Međimurje had been annexed by the Kingdom of Hungary
Kingdom of Hungary (1920–1946)
The Kingdom of Hungary also known as the Regency, existed from 1920 to 1946 and was a de facto country under Regent Miklós Horthy. Horthy officially represented the abdicated Hungarian monarchy of Charles IV, Apostolic King of Hungary...
in 1941. In April 1944, the Jews of Međimurje were taken to a camp in Nagykanizsa where they were held until their transport to Auschwitz. An estimated 540 Međimurje Jews were killed in Auschwitz, while 29 were killed at Jasenovac.
On 5 May 1945, the Legal Decree on the Equalization of Members of the NDH Based on Racial Origin (Zakonska odredba o izjednačavanju pripadnika NDH s obzirom na rasnu pripadnost) was declared which repealed the racial laws enacted over the course of the war.
Number of victims
Slavko Goldstein estimates that approximately 30,000 Jews were killed from the Independent State of Croatia. Vladimir Žerjavić's demographics research produced an estimate of 25,800 to 26,700 victims.By site
The Jasenovac Memorial Site maintains a list of 12,765 Jews killed at the Jasenovac concentration camp.Concentration camps
- Jasenovac concentration campJasenovac concentration campJasenovac concentration camp was the largest extermination camp in the Independent State of Croatia and occupied Yugoslavia during World War II...
- Sisak children's concentration campSisak children's concentration campSisak children's concentration camp was a concentration camp during World War II, set up by the Croatian pro-nazi Ustaše government for Serbian, Jewish and Roma children. The camp was located in Sisak, Croatia...
- Stara Gradiška concentration campStara Gradiška concentration campStara Gradiška was the most notorious concentration and extermination camp in Croatia during World War II, mainly due to the crimes which were committed against women and children. The camp was specially constructed for women and children of Serb, Jew, and Romani ethnicity...
- Sajmište concentration campSajmište concentration campSajmište concentration camp was a German run Nazi concentration camp located on the outskirts of Belgrade whilst part of NDH . It was established in December 1941 and shut down in September 1944...
(run by German forces in Serbia) - Tenja concentration camp
Righteous among the Nations
Over one hundred Croatians have been recognizedCroatian Righteous Among the Nations
This is the list of Croatian Righteous among the Nations. 102 Croatians were honored with this title by the state of Israel for saving Jews during World War II.* Antunac, Ivan* Bartulović, Olga and Dragica * Bauer, Čedomir and Branko...
as Righteous among the Nations
Righteous Among the Nations
Righteous among the Nations of the world's nations"), also translated as Righteous Gentiles is an honorific used by the State of Israel to describe non-Jews who risked their lives during the Holocaust to save Jews from extermination by the Nazis....
. They include Žarko Dolinar
Žarko Dolinar
Žarko Dolinar , Ph.D., a native of Koprivnica, Yugoslavia was a biologist by vocation and university academic who earned eight medals in the World Table Tennis Championships....
and Mate Ujević
Mate Ujevic
Mate Ujević was a Croatian poet and encyclopedist.Ujević finished gymnasium in Sinj and Split and studied literature in Zagreb. He bachelored in Ljubljana and finished his doctoral dissertation on poet Jovan Hranilović in Zagreb...
.
External links
- Holocaust Era in Croatia at the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum