Divoselo ( sr-cyr, Дивосело) is a village in the

Gospić Gospić () is a town in the mountainous and sparsely populated region of Lika, Croatia. It is the administrative centre of Lika-Senj County. Gospić is located near the Lika River in the middle of a karst field ( Ličko Polje). Gospić is the ...

municipality in the

Lika Lika () is a traditional region of Croatia proper, roughly bound by the Velebit mountain from the southwest and the Plješevica mountain from the northeast. On the north-west end Lika is bounded by Ogulin-Plaški basin, and on the south-east by ...

region of central

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

. It is located near Gospić, connected by the D25 highway.

History

During the WWII Genocide of Serbs by the Croatian fascist

Ustaše The Ustaše (), also known by anglicised versions Ustasha or Ustashe, was a Croats, Croatian Fascism, fascist and ultranationalism, ultranationalist organization active, as one organization, between 1929 and 1945, formally known as the Ustaš ...

regime, more than 900 Serbs were massacred in Divoselo. The Serb community was ethnically cleansed from the area during the

Operation Medak Pocket Operation Medak Pocket ( sh, script=Latn, Operacija Medački džep, ) was a military operation undertaken by the Croatian Army between 9 – 17 September 1993, in which a salient reaching the south suburbs of Gospić, in the south-central Lika ...

(September 1993) of the

Croatian War The Croatian War of Independence was fought from 1991 to 1995 between Croat forces loyal to the Government of Croatia—which had declared independence from the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY)—and the Serb-controlled Yugos ...

(1991–95), when the Croatian Army took it from the break-away

Republic of Serbian Krajina The Republic of Serbian Krajina or Serb Republic of Krajina ( sh, Република Српска Крајина, italics=no / or РСК / ''RSK'', ), known as the Serbian Krajina ( / ) or simply Krajina, was a self-proclaimed Serb proto-state, ...

. Earlier, the

Battle of Gospić The Battle of Gospić ( hr, Bitka za Gospić) was fought in the environs of Gospić, Croatia, from 29 August until 22 September 1991 during the Croatian War of Independence. The battle pitted the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA), stationed in five ...

(1991) included firefights between the

Yugoslav People's Army The Yugoslav People's Army (abbreviated as JNA/; Macedonian and sr-Cyrl-Latn, Југословенска народна армија, Jugoslovenska narodna armija; Croatian and bs, Jugoslavenska narodna armija; sl, Jugoslovanska ljudska a ...

and the Croatian National Guard in the village.

Demographics

The 1712–14 census of Lika and Krbava registered 589 inhabitants, all of whom were Serbian Orthodox ("Vlach"). The 1991 census registered 344 residents, out of whom 304 were ethnic

Serbs The Serbs ( sr-Cyr, Срби, Srbi, ) are the most numerous South Slavic ethnic group native to the Balkans in Southeastern Europe, who share a common Serbian ancestry, culture, history and language. The majority of Serbs live in their na ...

. The 2011 census registered 4 residents.
:

Notable natives and residents

Nada Dimić Nada Dimić (6 September 1923 – 17 March 1942) was a Yugoslav Partisan who died in World War II and was proclaimed a People's Hero of Yugoslavia. Nada Dimić was born in Divoselo near Gospić, Kingdom of Serbs, Croat and Slovenes (modern Croa ...

(1923–1942) - antifascist, partisan and People's Hero of Yugoslavia *

Mile Počuča The mile, sometimes the international mile or statute mile to distinguish it from other miles, is a British imperial unit and United States customary unit of distance; both are based on the older English unit of length equal to 5,280 English ...

(1899–1980) - antifascist, partisan and People's Hero of Yugoslavia

References

Populated places in Lika-Senj County Serb communities in Croatia {{LikaSenj-geo-stub