Roza Papo (crop)
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Roza Papo (1914–1984) was a Bosnian Jewish physician and general of 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 ...
. She was the first woman to rise to the rank of general on the
Balkan Peninsula The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
.


Early life

Roza Papo was born on 6 February 1914 into a Sephardi Jewish family in
Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ; cyrl, Сарајево, ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'') is the Capital city, capital and largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 275,524 in its a ...
. Her mother, Mirjama Papo (born Abinun), was the daughter of a
rabbi A rabbi () is a spiritual leader or religious teacher in Judaism. One becomes a rabbi by being ordained by another rabbi – known as ''semikha'' – following a course of study of Jewish history and texts such as the Talmud. The basic form of ...
from
Gračanica Gračanica () may refer to: Places Bosnia and Herzegovina *Gračanica, Bosnia and Herzegovina, a town and municipality in Tuzla *Gračanica (Bugojno), a village in Central Bosnia *Gračanica, Gacko, a village in Republika Srpska *Gračanica, Proz ...
. Roza Papo studied at the
School of Medicine A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, or part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS, MB ...
in
Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slop ...
and worked as physician in Sarajevo, Begov Han and Olovo before the outbreak of the
Second World War World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposin ...
.


War service

Following the
invasion of Yugoslavia The invasion of Yugoslavia, also known as the April War or Operation 25, or ''Projekt 25'' was a German-led attack on the Kingdom of Yugoslavia by the Axis powers which began on 6 April 1941 during World War II. The order for the invasion was p ...
by
Nazi Germany Nazi Germany (lit. "National Socialist State"), ' (lit. "Nazi State") for short; also ' (lit. "National Socialist Germany") (officially known as the German Reich from 1933 until 1943, and the Greater German Reich from 1943 to 1945) was ...
in 1941, Papo made contact with the
Yugoslav Partisans The Yugoslav Partisans,Serbo-Croatian, Macedonian, Slovene: , or the National Liberation Army, sh-Latn-Cyrl, Narodnooslobodilačka vojska (NOV), Народноослободилачка војска (НОВ); mk, Народноослобод ...
in Ozren and started aiding them. Jews throughout Europe joined resistance movements in an attempt to survive, but Papo's decision was also motivated by patriotism. Papo officially joined the Partisans in December 1941. The following year, she also became a member of the
Communist Party of Yugoslavia The League of Communists of Yugoslavia, mk, Сојуз на комунистите на Југославија, Sojuz na komunistite na Jugoslavija known until 1952 as the Communist Party of Yugoslavia, sl, Komunistična partija Jugoslavije mk ...
. During the war, she contracted
typhus Typhus, also known as typhus fever, is a group of infectious diseases that include epidemic typhus, scrub typhus, and murine typhus. Common symptoms include fever, headache, and a rash. Typically these begin one to two weeks after exposure. ...
, and during a battle in Ozren in 1942, she was slightly wounded in the face by an airplane bomb. As an officer, Papo served directly under
Josip Broz Tito Josip Broz ( sh-Cyrl, Јосип Броз, ; 7 May 1892 – 4 May 1980), commonly known as Tito (; sh-Cyrl, Тито, links=no, ), was a Yugoslav communist revolutionary and statesman, serving in various positions from 1943 until his deat ...
, the leader of the yugoslav resistance. She led the recruitment system and commanded the network of the different Partisan
field hospital A field hospital is a temporary hospital or mobile medical unit that takes care of casualties on-site before they can be safely transported to more permanent facilities. This term was initially used in military medicine (such as the Mobile A ...
s. Not wishing to be seen as a coward, she refused to take shelter during an air raid in 1942 and nearly lost an eye. She reached the rank of
captain Captain is a title, an appellative for the commanding officer of a military unit; the supreme leader of a navy ship, merchant ship, aeroplane, spacecraft, or other vessel; or the commander of a port, fire or police department, election precinct, e ...
in 1943 and was a
major Major (commandant in certain jurisdictions) is a military rank of commissioned officer status, with corresponding ranks existing in many military forces throughout the world. When used unhyphenated and in conjunction with no other indicators ...
by 1945.


Post-war career

The Partisans emerged victorious from the Second World War in 1945, but Papo's parents and both siblings had been killed. Her mother and all four aunts were killed in concentration camps. Upon returning to Sarajevo, Papo lived in a hotel, but soon moved to
Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
to specialize in
infectology Infectious diseases or ID, also known as infectiology, is a Specialty (medicine), medical specialty dealing with the diagnosis and treatment of infections. An infectious diseases specialist's practice consists of managing nosocomial (hospital-acqu ...
. Papo continued her career as physician in the army, and became the first head of the Military Medical Academy. She formulated the first criteria for the selection of
military physician The term military medicine has a number of potential connotations. It may mean: *A medical specialty, specifically a branch of occupational medicine attending to the medical risks and needs (both preventive and interventional) of sold ...
s. Having published over 50 papers, she became a professor at the academy in 1965. Rosa Papo was one of the first infectologists in Yugoslavia. She is credited with introducing new diagnostic methods, primarily liver biopsies, as well as the introduction of precise diagnosis of viral hepatitis and
hyperbilirubinemia Bilirubin (BR) (Latin for "red bile") is a red-orange compound that occurs in the normal catabolic pathway that breaks down heme in vertebrates. This catabolism is a necessary process in the body's clearance of waste products that arise from the ...
, as well as
tuberculosis Tuberculosis (TB) is an infectious disease usually caused by '' Mycobacterium tuberculosis'' (MTB) bacteria. Tuberculosis generally affects the lungs, but it can also affect other parts of the body. Most infections show no symptoms, in ...
and purulent
meningitis Meningitis is acute or chronic inflammation of the protective membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, collectively called the meninges. The most common symptoms are fever, headache, and neck stiffness. Other symptoms include confusion or ...
.''Знаменити Јевреји Србије : биографски лексикон''. Association of Jewish Communities of Serbia. Belgrade, 2011. p. 176. Papo received six medals for her contributions, including the
Commemorative Medal of the Partisans of 1941 The Commemorative Medal of the Partisans of 1941 ( sh, Partizanska Spomenica 1941 / Партизанска Споменица 1941, sl, Partizanska spomenica 1941) is a commemorative Yugoslav medal instituted on 14 September 1944, awarded to tho ...
, the Order of Merits for the People, and the
Order of Brotherhood and Unity Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of ...
. In 1973, she was promoted to the rank of
major general Major general (abbreviated MG, maj. gen. and similar) is a military rank used in many countries. It is derived from the older rank of sergeant major general. The disappearance of the "sergeant" in the title explains the apparent confusion of a ...
. Yugoslavia at the time had more Jewish generals than Israel, and Papo was the first woman general in all the
Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...
. As such, she was affectionately known as "the general with braids". Papo had a son, who died in 1969, and a daughter. She died on 25 February 1984 in
Belgrade Belgrade ( , ;, ; Names of European cities in different languages: B, names in other languages) is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city in Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers a ...
.


Decorations

*
Commemorative Medal of the Partisans of 1941 The Commemorative Medal of the Partisans of 1941 ( sh, Partizanska Spomenica 1941 / Партизанска Споменица 1941, sl, Partizanska spomenica 1941) is a commemorative Yugoslav medal instituted on 14 September 1944, awarded to tho ...
*
Order of Bravery The Order of Bravery ( bg, Орден за Храброст) is a Bulgarian order which existed during the Kingdom of Bulgaria and currently exists in the Republic of Bulgaria. It was the second highest in the Kingdom of Bulgaria and is the fourt ...
(October 1944) * Order of Merits for the People (1952) * Order of the Yugoslav Army - II degree (1956) *
Order of Brotherhood and Unity Order, ORDER or Orders may refer to: * Categorization, the process in which ideas and objects are recognized, differentiated, and understood * Heterarchy, a system of organization wherein the elements have the potential to be ranked a number of ...
- II degree (1960) *Order of Military Merit with a Big Star (I degree) (1971)


References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Papo, Roza 1914 births 1984 deaths Generals of the Yugoslav People's Army Yugoslav military doctors Bosnia and Herzegovina people of World War II Military personnel from Sarajevo Women in the Yugoslav Partisans Yugoslav Partisans members Jews in the Yugoslav Partisans Bosnia and Herzegovina Sephardi Jews Jewish physicians School of Medicine, University of Zagreb alumni Female army generals Yugoslav communists