Jazovka is a pit in the

Žumberak Mountains The Žumberak Mountains ( hr, Žumberačka gora, sl, Gorjanci, historic German name: ) is a range of hills and mountains in northwestern Croatia and southeastern Slovenia, extending from the southwest to the northeast between the Krka and the K ...

area of

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 ...

, known as a site of mass executions and burials associated with Partisan activities during and after World War II. Hundreds of wounded Croatian soldiers from Zagreb hospitals and civilians were dumped in the pit. Some were already dead, but others died of exposure and injuries. Since the site was rediscovered in 1990, when more 800 skeletons were found, an annual pilgrimage has been organized.

History

The first victims are believed to have been soldiers of the fascist puppet state

Independent State of Croatia The Independent State of Croatia ( sh, Nezavisna Država Hrvatska, NDH; german: Unabhängiger Staat Kroatien; it, Stato indipendente di Croazia) was a World War II-era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. It was established in p ...

, captured by Partisan forces after a battle near

Krašić Krašić is a village and municipality in central Croatia, located near Jastrebarsko and Ozalj, south of Žumberak and north of Kupa, about 50 km southwest of Zagreb. Krašić comprises an area of about 3.63 km2. In the 2011 census, the ...

in January 1943. Some were likely shot before being dumped into the pit; others might have been thrown in alive. Later in 1945 the Partisans used the pit to dispose secretly of bodies of prisoners of war following the

Bleiburg repatriations The Bleiburg repatriations ( see terminology) occurred in May 1945, after the end of World War II in Europe, during which Yugoslavia had been occupied by the Axis powers, when tens of thousands of soldiers and civilians associated with the Axis ...

. They also dumped wounded Croatian soldiers, medical staff, and Catholic nuns. While local people retained the memory of these events, the communist government suppressed any acknowledgement of these wartime murders by the Partisans. In 1990, after the fall of socialism in Croatia, the pit was rediscovered. At a depth of around , the remains of more 800 skeletons were found. Since this period, the

Catholic Church in Croatia , native_name_lang = hr , image = St. Peter's Cathedral, Dakovo.jpg , imagewidth = 200px , alt = , caption = Đakovo Cathedral. , abbreviation = , type = Nation ...

has organised an annual pilgrimage to the site. It is held on June 22 and coincides with

Anti-Fascist Struggle Day Anti-Fascist Struggle Day ( hr, Dan antifašističke borbe) is a public holiday in Croatia. It is observed on 22 June and commemorates the formation of the First Sisak Partisan Detachment, a Communist-led guerrilla unit during World War II in Yugo ...

. The Church has lined the path to the pit from a nearby village with images of stations of the cross. The event is reported as popular among members of fringe right-wing groups in Croatia.

Notable executee

* Gaudencija Šplajt, Roman Catholic nun who was sentenced to execution by shooting by the Partisan military court in

Zagreb Zagreb ( , , , ) is the capital and largest city of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb stands near the international border between Croatia and Slov ...

on 29 June 1945. She was convicted of aiding, harboring, and hiding a German bandit, the notorious Ustaša police director Ivan Tolj, and other

Ustaše The Ustaše (), also known by anglicised versions Ustasha or Ustashe, was a Croatian fascist and ultranationalist organization active, as one organization, between 1929 and 1945, formally known as the Ustaša – Croatian Revolutionary Move ...

after the Soviet forces' and Partisans' liberation of Zagreb.Presuda Vojnog suda Komande grada Zagreba Miroslavu Filipoviću-Majstoroviću i družini; Sud. broj 290/45; 1945., lipanj 29., Zagreb.

References

{{coord, 45, 45, 24, N, 15, 23, 24, E, region:DE-RP_type:landmark_source:kolossus-dewiki, display=title Caves of Croatia Mass graves 20th century in Croatia Aftermath of World War II in Yugoslavia Political repression in Communist Yugoslavia Violations of medical neutrality during World War II Yugoslav Partisan war crimes in World War II