Mass Grave in Front of the Teacher’s Faculty

Lamps are the symbol of light. That light should enlighten the existence of graves, said the head of the HOD association, Ivica Relkovic.

ZAGREB, CROATIA - From the start of last week, the number of lit lamps in front of the Teacher’s Faculty have grown. The surprised students and passers by, as well as us, asked ourselves why. Considering that the area was a prison and hospital more than 50 years ago, some claims state that there is a mass grave there, and civil institutions want to prompt research into all unmarked graves, and the lit candles give honour to the dead.

The building at 77 Savska Street dates from the the nineteen thirties, where a group of nuns were located. In the process of nationalisation, the building was taken from them, and today the Teacher’s Faculty, 11^th High School, and regional primary school occupy those premises.

The civilian associations: project “Education Association 1481-EU1481”, the Croatian Responsible Association (HOD), and the Association for mobilising new youth organisations “ZAMNOM”, all started activities a month ago, linked to the initiative “Torturers Torture”, which wanted to prompt the public to react and advocate the start of research into unmarked graves from World War II.

Truth leads into the future

The HOD association has been monitoring contradictory claims of the existence of such graves in Zagreb and its surroundings since 1993.

- The last witnesses contact us as an association, and talk about the existence of such graves. We have heard claims that one is located in the surroundings of Jastrebarsko and Klinca Sela – said Relkovic.

- We do not want to start any large processes, just to discover the truth. The families of the victims need to know where their father, brother or sister are buried. Truth will close this page in history. We want perpetrators to have names and surnames, regardless of which group they belong to. In doing so, we do not want to prescribe who the victim was and who the perpetrator is. The totalitarian political systems in the 20^th century managed to influence a large number of people – said Relkovic about the whole project.

Matija Tvrtko Drmic, the president of ZAMNOM, said that he heard about those graves around ten years ago through the media. He considers that the time is right to research them, and the young should concern themselves with this, because these things should not be kept quiet.

- People were taken from the hospital and prison. This is a public issue and should be researched. If we do not have an objective reason for doubt, I will believe the claims when, after the research, it is proven that it is not true, we will admit that we believed the claims – said Drmic.

Split public opinion

Whilst the activists seek an investigation, thoughts and reactions are divided.

- There is nothing approximate with us chemists. In order to make a chemical reaction, you must know the chemical elements that you will be using. This is globally applicable to human life. I have four children, and as a parent I want to ensure the future for my children. No family, or let alone a people, can have a future if it does not respect the past. If you remember, when asked about who his mother and father were, Christ said that they are all of those that do good deeds. I want to honour our parents and those that gave their lives for our freedom in 1945, so that my children and our other sons do not have to pay again. This is the building where I studied, and I never knew that there was a grave there. Regardless of nationality and reason, we – the living, have the responsibility to respect the dead. This candle is a symbol of my respect – said the chemist Darinko Tadic.

- I am one of the old and young that answered the mail that has been circulating these days in which it states exactly what is in question. After World War II, liquidations were carried out on civilians, Homeland Defenders, Ustasha, and all of those that did not “win” in the war that had ended at that time – said Ivan Tomljenovic, a student at KBF.

An older man, who wishes to remain anonymous, reacted fiercely when he read the pamphlet.

- This is ordinary propaganda, Ustasha propaganda – yelled the man.

- During World War II, a prison was located in the building of today’s Teacher’s Faculty. When the war was coming to an end, the Croatian population fled to the British Army, hoping that they would offer them protection. They met on the fields of Bleiberg, where the British handed them over to the Partisans. Under Partisan leadership, they were led in lines back to Croatia. That journey, during which many were injured and killed, is also called the “Path of the Cross”

One of the control points was the prison in Savska Street where people were buried in a mass grave. The same applies to the site of today’s main bus station, which was called “Nasip”, where there is also a mass grave. As the week of Bleiberg suffering draws nearer, civilian associations started the initiative of remembrance of those victims. The past and history must not be forgotten, so that it is never repeated again – said Mrs Ana Schmidt who has family members that died during those events.

Pamphlets for awareness

- The teacher’s faculty knew that there would be candles and lanterns lit there today, which our activists will guard 24 hours a day. Three weeks ago we handed out pamphlets around the suburb – said Drmic.

- Our choice of April 14 is not related to any claims about the dates of the murders in the mass graves, nor its closeness to the Bleiberg anniversary. It is an organisational issue which, amongst other things, was planned not to collide with George Bush’s visit to Croatia – said Relkovic.

- This project is only the beginning. It will also continue during the autumn. However then, we will alert the media well in advance. Today’s confusion amongst the citizens and their slumping of shoulders prompted people to learn amongst themselves. We are opening the debate whether it is possible that there is a mass grave in the centre of the capital city – said Relkovic.

The investigators will have to establish what the truth is, and until then we can only debate the existence of those graves. The project of lighting the candles has prompted citizens to think, and ask themselves where they live and where they go to school.