Overview
- Interview Summary
- Stjepan Tonkovic, born in 1927 in Bribir in the former Yugoslavia, describes the beginning of the war and life under occupation by Italian forces; the shooting of his Romani neighbor; the requirement that young people join the Ustaša working service in 1941; young men organizing resistance against the fascists; collecting food and goods for the Partisans; performing sabotages; Italian forces burning houses and taking civilians to concentration camps; the execution of some of his family members; his arrest in 1942 for distributing propaganda; his interrogation in a prison in Rijeka; his transfer to Kraljevica concentration camp in 1943; conditions in the concentration camp; returing to Novi Vinodolski after the capitulation of Italy; the expulsion of the residents of Bribir by German forces in 1943; the withdrawl of Chetnik forces to Slovenia; and the sight of dead bodies of German soldiers on the day of liberation.
- Interviewee
- Stjepan Tonkovic
- Date
-
interview:
2008 November 21
- Credit Line
- United States Holocaust Memorial Museum Collection, courtesy of the Jeff and Toby Herr Foundation
Physical Details
- Language
- Serbo-Croatian
- Extent
-
2 videocassettes (DVCAM) : sound, color ; 1/4 in..
Rights & Restrictions
- Conditions on Access
- There are no known restrictions on access to this material.
- Conditions on Use
- No restrictions on use
Keywords & Subjects
- Topical Term
- World War, 1939-1945--Personal narratives, Croatian. Anti-fascist movements--Croatia. Arson--Croatia. Chetniks. Guerrillas--Yugoslavia. Holocaust, Jewish (1939-1945)--Yugoslavia. Mass murder--Croatia. Romanies--Crimes against--Croatia. Shooting (Execution)--Croatia. World War, 1939-1945--Concentration camps--Croatia. World War, 1939-1945--Prisoners and prisons, Yugoslav. World War, 1939-1945--Underground movements--Croatia. Men--Personal narratives.
- Geographic Name
- Bribir (Primorsko-goranska županija, Croatia) Croatia--History--1918-1945. Croatia. Germany--Armed Forces. Italy--Armed Forces. Novi Vinodolski (Croatia) Rijeka (Croatia) Yugoslavia--History--Axis occupation, 1941-1945.
- Personal Name
- Tonkovic, Stjepan.
Administrative Notes
- Holder of Originals
-
United States Holocaust Memorial Museum
- Legal Status
- Permanent Collection
- Provenance
- This is a witness interview of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's Perpetrators, Collaborators, and Witnesses: The Jeff and Toby Herr Testimony Initiative, a multi-year project to record the testimonies of non-Jewish witnesses to the Holocaust. The interview was directed and supervised by Nathan Beyrak.
- Funding Note
- The production of this interview was made possible by Jeff and Toby Herr.
- Special Collection
-
The Jeff and Toby Herr Oral History Archive
- Record last modified:
- 2023-11-16 09:05:47
- This page:
- https://collections.ushmm.org/search/catalog/irn44836
Download & Licensing
- Request Copy
- See Rights and Restrictions
- Terms of Use
- This record is digitized but cannot be downloaded online.
In-Person Research
- Available for Research
- Plan a Research Visit
Contact Us
Also in Oral history interviews of the Former Yugoslavia Witnesses Documentation Project, Croatia
Oral history interviews of the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum's Former Yugoslavia Witnesses Documentation Project in Croatia.
Date: 2007-2009
Oral history interview with Miloš Petrović
Oral History
Miloš Petrović, born in 1933 in Dugi Do in the former Yugoslavia, describes hearing that Ustaša members were killing Serbian civilians; his father fleeing from Krnjak before a massacre occurred there; hearing about a massacre of men from his village in Ivanic Jarak in 1941; his father joining the Partisans; hiding in the forest with his mother from Ustaša and German soldiers; the sight of civilians who had been shot; the burning of his home and the death of his father in 1943; the differences between the Chetniks and Partisans; and spending time in an orphanage after the war.
Oral history interview with Dušan Srdić
Oral History
Dušan Srdić, born in 1924 in Mlakovac in the former Yugoslavia, describes the bombing of Belgrade in 1941; going to see the German soldiers near his village; Croatian civilians welcoming the Ustaša in Ogulin; Croatian policemen searching his home for guns; giving guns to the Partisans; his father escaping an execution of Serbian men in Ivanic Jarak; Italian soldiers burning his village and shooting civilians in revenge for a Partisan attack, resulting in the death of his father; hiding on Petrova Gora; joining the Partisans in 1942; the sight of burned villages and murdered civilians; and the execution of Ustaša members.
Oral history interview with Djordje Srdić
Oral History
Djordje Srdić, born in 1928 in Mlakovac in the former Yugoslavia, describes his training as a photographer in Skopje, Macedonia at the begininng of the war; moving with his employer to Zagreb in 1941; hearing a conversation between Ustaša members about the destruction and murder in Bosnia; propaganda posters against Jews and Serbs; restrictions placed upon the Jewish community; his employer joining a German organization in Zagreb; returning home with his mother; hiding in the forest when Ustaša members came to his village; his uncle's death in 1942; the burning and looting of his home; the execution of men from his village, including his father, by Italian forces because of a partisan attack in 1942; the murder of his mother and several of his siblings by Ustaša members in 1943; and joining the Partisans in 1945.
Oral history interview with Zorka Pavković
Oral History
Zorka Pavković, born in 1925 in Mlakovac village in the former Yugoslavia, describes a nearby forest being cut down because local townspeople were in hiding there; hearing about a massacre of men in a nearby village by Ustase members; the massacre of men from her village in Ivanic Jarak; hiding in the forest during an offensive in 1943; being tortured by Ustase members, and then helped by partisans; and hiding in the forest when soldiers were sighted.
Oral history interview with Simeon Pavković
Oral History
Simeon Pavković, born in 1923 in Donji Budački village in the former Yugoslavia, describes hearing about the capitulation of Yugoslavia at the beginning of the war; the massacre of Serbian men at Krnjak; hiding from the Ustaša with his father in the forest; the Ustaša setting houses in nearby villages on fire; the Ustaša capturing and killing his father; attempting to bury a group of murdered Serbian civilians in 1942, only to be stopped by the Ustaša who took over the burial; joining the Partisans in 1943; and the lack of revenge killings and trials after the war.
Oral history interview with Rade Jakšić
Oral History
Rade Jakšić, born in 1935 in Sljunski Moravci in the former Yugoslavia, describes fleeing from an offensive on his village, which resulted in the looting and burning of his village; fleeing to Petrova Gora upon seeing Ustaša forces; finding people murdered by the Ustaša in the woods; partisan forces trying to protect Serbian civilians; Italian forces looting the food of civilians; and hearing about a massacre in Prkos of Serbian civilians by the Ustaše.
Oral history interview with Dušan Gvozdić
Oral History
Dušan Gvozdić, born in 1920 in Lapovac village in the former Yugoslavia, describes his family; a roundup of Serbian men by the Ustaša and Italian forces, and their imprisonment in Veljun; the execution of Serbian prisoners at Blagaj, including his father; encountering the bodies of murdered civilians; organizing a defense system to guard the village; joining the Partisans in 1944; the execution of a captured Domobran member; the establishment of schools in liberated regions in 1944; a memorial created for the victims of the Blagaj massacre after the war; and serving as a post-war witness in the trial of a collaborator.
Oral history interview with Kosta Opačić
Oral History
Kosta Opačić, born in 1929 in Crno Vrelo in the former Yugoslavia, describes Ustaša forces taking Serbian men from his village in 1941; the execution of Serbian men in Blagaj; an attack by Ustaša forces in Banino village in 1943, resulting in the deaths of most of the Serbs there; the sight of dead civilians in Otmic village; and living in Veljunska Glina until 1945, and then returning home.
Oral history interview with Jelena Tarbuk
Oral History
Jelena Tarbuk, born in 1921 in Tusilovic in the former Yugoslavia, describes her work with the SKOJ, passing information to the Partisans; the sight of the Ustaša guarding a group of Serbian men; a Ustaša member searching her house for her father in 1941; her father converting to Catholicism to protect himself; the execution of Serbs by the Ustaša; her work as a spy; the capture and imprisonment of her father at Gradiska concentration camp; the sight of dead bodies from massacres by Ustaša forces; escaping to Petrova Gora in 1942 during a Ustaša assult; refugees in the forest in 1943; atrocities committed by Ustaša forces; her father joining the Partisans in 1943; the death of many of her family members; and agreeing to be a witness in the postwar trial of a former Domobran who had assisted her during the war.
Oral history interview with Danica Tarbuk
Oral History
Danica Tarbuk, born in 1929 in Cerovac in the former Yugoslavia, describes hearing from her Croatian neighbor about the Ustaša killing Serbian civilians; fleeing to Petrova Gora in 1941 to hide from Ustaša forces; Ustaša forces taking her father and brother, allowing her, her mother, and her sisters to return home; the sight of many murdered civilians at Petrova Gora; her Croatian neighbor securing the release of her father and brother from the Ustaša; moving to Belgrade and then Pozarevac; surviving the bombing of Belgrade; and returning home after the war.
Oral history interview with Rade Golić
Oral History
Rade Golić, born in 1926 in Milici in the former Yugoslavia, describes the retreat of the soldiers of the Yugoslav Army; the arrival of the German Army; fleeing from the Ustaša; an uprising of townsmen against local policemen who were Ustaša members; watching the roundup and deportation of nearby townspeople by the Ustaša; his forced labor by the Ustaša; fleeing Ustaša members; living in Kropivno; the murder of most of his family by Ustaša members; living with partisan forces; atrocities committed by Ustaša forces; the murder of civilians committed by Cetniks; the sight of corpses in the Drina River; joining the Partisans in Bosnia in 1942; the bodies of civilian victims; burying the victims; the execution of Cetnik and Ustaša members by partisans; and participating in the liberation of Sarajevo.
Oral history interview with Ljubica Jelača
Oral History
Ljubica Jelača, born in 1929 in Slunski Moravci in the former Yugoslavia, describes her father's capture by German forces because of his membership in the Yugoslav Army; being warned by Domobran forces in 1941 of Ustaša forces killing Serbian civilians; hiding on Petrova Gora during the murders of Serbian civilians by the Ustaša; returning home to find her home burned; and attempting to convert to Catholicism for protection, but being told by the priest that they should have more faith in their legs.
Oral history interview with Sofija Petrović
Oral History
Sofija Petrović, born in 1930 in Lovcari in the former Yugoslavia, describes hiding in the forest from Ustaša, German, and Italian forces; arson committed in her village; her capture by a Ustaša member and deportation to Gradiska concentration camp; the conditions of the concentration camp; the Jewish inmates in the camp; her transfer to a concentration camp in Gornija Rijeka; her time in a hospital in Zagreb; her transfer to Dugo Selo; a Croatian neighbor who took her back to her parents; and how her entire family survivied the war.
Oral history interview with Marija Thian
Oral History
Marija Thian, born in 1924 in Hrib in the former Yugoslavia, describes the occupation of her village by Italian forces; the murder of a local townsman for aiding partisan forces; the execution of her brother in 1942; the mass murder of men from her village by Italian forces; the deportation of her village to concentration camps in Italy; her experiences in the concentration camps of Treviso and Gonars, conditions in the camps and the death of her father; the capitulation of Italy; returning to Croatia; living with family in Resnik until the end of the war; and her return to her village to discover that her home had been burned.
Oral history interview with Juraj Hrženjak
Oral History
Juraj Hrženjak, born in 1917 in Vrbovec in the former Yugoslavia, describes living in Zagreb at the beginning of the war; raids on civilians; disappearances of members of the Jewish community; anti-Jewish and anti-Serbian propaganda; restrictions placed upon local townspeople; the torture of civilians in prisons; joining the Partisans; atrocities committed by Ustaša and Italian forces in the town of Lika in 1943; atrocities committed at Stara Gradiska before it was burned; the different treatment of Ustaša and Domobran members by the Partisans; and the murder of Serbian collaborators with the Ustaša by partisan members.
Oral history interview with Vladimir Jurak
Oral History
Vladimir Jurak, born in 1929 in Zagreb in the former Yugoslavia, describes joining the League of Communist Youth of Yugoslavia; his work for the Partisans collecting weapons and medical supplies; Ustaša propaganda in Zagreb; restrictions placed upon the Jewish and Serbian communities; the sight of a mass hanging in Dubrava in 1941; the murder of Jews and communists by the Ustaša; joining a group of Ustaša youth to collect information for partisan forces and recruiting to the partisan cause; fighting with partisan forces until his wounding in 1944; and remaining in a hospital in Osijek until the end of the war.
Oral history interview with Mario Carnelutti
Oral History
Mario Carnelutti, born in 1926 in Zagreb in the former Yugoslavia, describes his Jewish mother and Croatian father; local Croatians joining the Ustaša; the destruction of local synagogues; anti-Jewish and anti-Serbian propaganda; the promise from the local Catholic priest that those in mixed marriages would not be arrested; an episode in Maksimir stadium during which Croatian, Serbian, and Jewish students disobeyed Ustaša forces; restrictions placed upon the Jewish and Serbian communities; shootings conducted by the Ustaša; the hanging of ten local townspeople for the death of a German soldier; the deportation of the Jewish community; life in Zagreb during the war; his father aiding his Jewish friend who joined the Partisans and survived the war; sending packages to friends in Jasenovac; and the sight of a column of Ustaša, Cetniks, and German soldiers at the end of the war.
Oral history interview with Sonja Budak
Oral History
Sonja Budak, born in 1923 in Zagreb in the former Yugoslavia, describes her Jewish mother and Croatian father; restrictions placed on the Jewish community during occupation; her mother's arrest; her mother's release secured by her father; the arrest and disappearance of some of her friends; posters including the names of murdered townspeople; the deportation of the majority of the Jews of Zagreb; the looting of Jewish owned property by the Ustaša; and the sight of a column of Ustaša and Cetnik members and their families leaving Zagreb at the end of the war.
Oral history interview with Svetozar Livada
Oral History
Svetozar Livada, born in 1928 in Slunj in the former Yugoslavia, describes massacres of Serbian civilians in 1941 by the Ustaša; the burning of his house by the Ustaša in 1941; the torture of a communist Croatian in his village; fleeing to the forest during Ustaša attacks; joining the Partisans; the death of his mother; the arrest of an Italian battalion by his partisan unit; the structure of the prisoner of war exchange; atrocities committed by the the Ustaša and German soldiers; crimes committed by partisans; his wounding in 1944 and transfer to Italy and then England; and the fate of his family members.
Oral history interview with Branko Vujasinović
Oral History
Branko Vujasinović, born in 1927 in Glina in the former Yugoslavia, describes attending school in Sremski Karlovci until 1941; the establishment of the Independent State of Croatia; hearing about murders committed by Ustaša forces; the arrest of his father and other local Serbian men by the Ustaša; the execution and burial of arrested Serbian men by the Ustaša; the Ustaša appropriating Jewish owned shops after the deportation of the Jewish community; moving to the Dalmatian coast in 1941 to stay with family; returning to Glina in 1942; anti-Serbian propaganda; the persecution of the Jewish community of Glina by Ustaša; the sight of Ustaša transporting a group of Serbian women and children; attending school in Zagreb in 1944 after obtaining documents falsifying his Catholic status; joining the Partisans in 1945; the sight of burned villages; taking part in the liberation of Zagreb; and reading about trials of Ustaša members after the war.
Oral history interview with Vlado Oberiter
Oral History
Vlado Oberiter, born in 1923 in Vinkovici in the former Yugoslavia, describes restrictions placed upon the Jewish and Serbian communities at the beginning of the war; the Ustaša taking over Jewish owned shops; the requirement for him to participate in a group of Ustaša youth; studying medicine in Zagreb; anti-Jewish and anti-Serb propaganda; the burning of the synagogue in Vinkovci; the imprisonment of one of his Jewish friends; joining the Domobrans in 1943; his kidnapping by partisan forces and working with them as a doctor; the sight the atrocities committed on the residents of Bosnia; returning to Vinkovci after liberation; his relocation to a camp for Volksdeutsche because of his Austrian mother; and fleeing the camp.
Oral history interview with Josip Pribilović
Oral History
Josip Pribilović, born in 1922 in Kraljevica in the former Yugoslavia, describes attending school in Dubrovnik from 1941 to 1943; propaganda posters on the walls of the town; traveling to Zagreb; aiding local Jews in leaving Croatia; the sight of the Ustaša guarding a group of Romani children in 1942; the concentration camp in Kraljevica; conditions in the camp and the presence of Jewish inmates; local women bringing food to the Jews in the camp; German soldiers taking control of the Jewish prisoners after the capitulation of Italy in 1943; joining the Partisans in 1943; atrocities committed against civilians in Croatia; his time in a hospital after contracting typhus; his arrest in 1944; his mother securing his release under the condition that he join the Domobrans; joining the Domobrans, and then leaving to return to the Partisans; and the execution of police collaborators by partisans.
Oral history interview with Ivan Slade
Oral History
Ivan Slade, born in 1926 in Trogir in the former Yugoslavia, describes his membership in the League of Communist Youth of Yugoslavia; resisting Italian occupiers; his arrest and imprisonment in Perugia in 1943; his transfer to Dachau and then Buchenwald; conditions in the concentration camps; Jewish inmates at Buchenwald; his forced labor at Buchenwald until liberation by American forces in 1945; learning about atrocities committed at Buchenwald; and returning to Yugoslavia in 1945.
Oral history interview with Dalibor Vlastelica
Oral History
Dalibor Vlastelica, born in 1925 in Split in the former Yugoslavia, describes the Italian occupation of Split; his acts of sabotage against the Italian forces; joining the Partisans in 1943; his arrest in 1943 and deportation to Mauthausen concentration camp; his experiences at Mauthausen and Ebensee concentration camps, including the conditions of the camps and his forced labor; and liberation at Ebensee by American forces in 1945.
Oral history interview with Stjepan (Stipe) Lukin
Oral History
Stjepan (Stipe) Lukin, born in 1925 in Putisici in the former Yugoslavia, describes working as a member of the League of Communist Youth in Yugoslavia, collecting food for the Partisans; his arrest in 1944 by local Ustaša members; his release by a Ustaša member who joined the Partisans; fighting against “Prinze Eugen” SS Division in 1943; the massacre of civilians by SS members in retaliation for a Partisan attack; assisting in the burial of victims; and the treatment of captured Chetniks, Ustaša, and Domobrans by the Partisans.
Oral history interview with Jerko Matošić
Oral History
Jerko Matošić, born in 1925 in Split in the former Yugoslavia, describes his work at the beginning of the war; his imprisonment in 1942 because of his role in the assassination of a local fascist; his imprisonment in Perugia until the capitulation of Italy; his participation in an uprising in the Perugia prison; his transfer to Dachau concentration camp in 1943 and work in a can factory; being the subject of medical experimentation; his liberation by American forces in 1945; the killing of camp guards by a former prisoner; assisting in the burial of corpses; and the long-term effects of the medical experiments performed on him.
Oral history interview with Srećko Ozretić
Oral History
Srećko Ozretić, born in 1925 in Split in the former Yugoslavia, describes his work at the beginning of the war; fighting Italian occupiers; forcibly cutting the hair of women who spent time with Italian troops; the killing of local collaborators; his imprisonment in 1942 in Perugia during which he was tortured; his transfer to Dachau and then Buchenwald concentration camp in 1943; conditions in the concentration camps, including the deaths of the prisoners and forced labor; his transfer to and forced labor at Koln, Ruan, Lille, and Dora; and escaping from a line of prisoners outside Dora and joining the Soviet Army.
Oral history interview with Ante Dragić
Oral History
Ante Dragić, born in 1915 in Savar in the former Yugoslavia, describes his collaboration with the Communist party; life under Italian occupation; arrests of Communist party members and partisan collaborators; attacking Italian soldiers in 1942 to liberate an activist of the Communist party; being wounded; hiding in a camp organized by the underground movement; the internment of his young son in Zadar until the end of the war; a raid in 1943 by Italian forces on Dugi Otok; an attack by German forces after the Italian capitulation; and his work for the benefit of Partisan forces.
Oral history interview with Janja Jokić
Oral History
Janja Jokić, born in 1925 in Filipjakovo in the former Yugoslavia, describes her family aiding partisan members; the occupation by Italian forces and the Ustaša; her arrest in 1943 because of her collaboration with the Partisans; the burning of villages and arrest of civilians by Italian forces; her imprisonment in concentration camps in Biograd and on Molat island; her return to Biograd then Filipjakovo after the capitulation of Italy; and hiding for the remainder of the war because she was considered a criminal to the German forces.
Oral history interview with Boris Baraba
Oral History
Boris Baraba, born in 1924 on Ugljan Island in the former Yugoslavia, describes the occupation of Ugljan Island by Italian forces; organizing help for partisans; his arrest in 1943 because of his assistance to partisans; his transfer to a concentration camp on Molat island; conditions in the concentration camp; the use of prisoners as hostages to guarantee that the prisoners' villages would not associate with partisans; his release from the concentration camp in 1943; returning to Ugljan; joining partisan fighters after the capitulation of Italy; and serving with partisans until the end of the war.
Oral history interview with Šime Cvitanović
Oral History
Šime Cvitanović, born in 1925 in Veli Iž in the former Yugoslavia, describes the occupation of Veli Iž by Italian forces; the poor treatment of local townspeople; many people who joined the Partisans; the arrest of his sister in 1942 under suspicion of collaborating with the Partisans; threats of death to those who collaborated with the Partisans; the arrival of German forces after the capitulation of Italy; and joining the Partisans in 1944.
Oral history interview with Ivan Jurčić
Oral History
Ivan Jurčić, born in 1934 in Kastav in the former Yugoslavia, describes the Italian occupation of Kastav; the murder of members of certain families in 1942 by Italian soldiers; visiting the execution site; his deportation with his mother to the concentration camp in Udine in 1943; the conditions of the concentration camp; their release after the capitulation of Italy; living with his aunt until the end of the war; and returning to Kastav in 1947.
Oral history interview with Dušan Jardas
Oral History
Dušan Jardas, born in 1928 in Viskovo in the former Yugoslavia, describes joining the Partisans with his father in 1941; his arrest by German forces in 1944; his transfer to Dachau concentration camp; the living conditions in Dachau, including the treatment of the prisoners, his forced labor, and being subjected to medical experimentation; his transfer to Augsburg; liberation by American forces; and returning to Yugoslavia.
Oral history interview with Gino Sirola
Oral History
Gino Sirola, born in 1925 in Rijeka in the former Yugoslavia, describes the occupation of Rijeka by Italian forces, including restrictions placed upon the local townspeople; aiding the Partisans after the capitulation of Italy; his arrest by German forces in 1944; his imprisonment and forced labor at different concentration camps in Germany, including Neugamme, Hamburg, Dachau, Sandel, and Webblin; liberation by American forces; and his return to Yugoslavia after the war.
Oral history interview with Čedomir Rubignoni
Oral History
Čedomir Rubignoni, born in 1928 in Susak in the former Yugoslavia, describes the occupation of Susak by Italian forces; joining the Partisans in 1943; his arrest by the Ustaša in 1944 and transfer to Buchenwald concentration camp; conditions in Buchenwald; his forced labor; the death of many prisoners; his memories of Ilse Koch at Buchenwald; the execution of Soviet and Jewish prisoners by the guards; participating in the liberation of the camp; and the arrival of Allied forces.
Oral history interview with Božidar Mladenović
Oral History
Božidar Mladenović, born in 1925 in Susak in the former Yugoslavia, describes the occupation of Susak by Italian forces; joining the Partisans; his arrest in 1942 by Italian Special Police; his imprisonment in Perugia until the capitulation of Italy; his transfer to Dachau concentration camp in 1943; conditions in the concentration camp; his forced labor; being a subject of medical experimentation; his transfer to Ravensbrück concentration camp; his escape from Bart labor camp during an evacuation at the end of the war; being found by Soviet forces; and the sight of dead bodies of SS soldiers.
Oral history interview with Antun Erent
Oral History
Antun Erent, born in 1933 in Gerovo in the former Yugoslavia, describes Italian occupation of Gerovo; local townspeople assisting partisan forces; Italian troops burning villages in retaliation for partisan attacks; his imprisonment with his family in the concentration camps at Treviso and Gonars; living with his aunt in Osijek in 1943 after the capitulation of Italy; remaining in Osijek until the end of the war; Yugoslav Germans fleeing Croatia at the end of the war; and returning to Hrib in 1946.
Oral history interview with Antonija Ivković
Oral History
Antonija Ivković, born in 1933 in Donji Pustakovac in the former Yugoslavia, describes the occupation of her hometown by Hungarian forces; her neighbor collaborating with Hungarian forces; the punishment of local townspeople in an attempt to locate partisan members, which including the burning of buildings, the killing of suspected partisan members, and her forced participation in the transportation and burial of the victims; the deportation of her father in 1944 to a concentration camp in Hungary; and the return of her father and brother after the war.
Oral history interview with Adam Čavlek
Oral History
Adam Čavlek, born in 1924 in Sveti Juriji in the former Yugoslavia, describes working in Hungary at the beginning of the war; the sight of Hungarian soldiers shooting young men attempting to join the Partisans; joining the Partisans in 1944; the sight of burned villages and murdered civilians; arresting German, Hungarian, and Ustaša soldiers, many of which were executed; and the execution of imprisoned soldiers after their trials.
Oral history interview with Mirko Marcinjaš
Oral History
Mirko Marcinjaš, born in 1932 in Palinovac in the former Yugoslavia, describes the "Hungarization" of his village, including the placement of Hungarian teachers in the schools and the order for young men to join the Hungarian army; the imprisonment of young men and their families in Cakovec and then Germany for desertion from the Hungarian army; attending partisan meetings in his neighbor's house; the shooting of partisans in his neighbor's garden; the story of a partisan member who was executed after the war because he deserted the Partisans and joined the Hungarian Army, giving them information about partisan activity; and few who returned from concentration camps after the war.
Oral history interview with Milan Roknić
Oral History
Milan Roknić, born in 1927 in Prkos in the former Yugoslavia, describes fleeing Prkos and traveling to Sjenicak upon hearing that Ustaša members were coming to his village; the murder of the citizens of Prkos by the Ustaša; staying as a refugee in Kordun and Petrova Gora; joining the Partisans in 1944; and participating in the exhumation, identification, and reburial of the victims of the Prkos massacre in 1951.
Oral history interview with Milić Bučan
Oral History
Milić Bučan, born in 1928 in Prkos in the former Yugoslavia, describes fleeing Prkos and traveling to Sjenicak upon hearing that the Ustaša were coming to his village; the massacre of the citizens of Prkos by the Ustaša; his arrest by the Ustaša and imprisonment in Pisarevina; the Jewish and Serbian prisoners there; his transfer to Zdencina and then Stara Gradiska concentration camp; volunteering to work in Germany, and then being released in Zagreb; joining the Partisans; and participating in the exhumation, identification, and reburial of the victims of the Prkos massacre.
Oral history interview with Ljiljana Tonković
Oral History
Ljiljana Tonković, born in 1932 in Smederevo in the former Yugoslavia, describes the bombing of Smederevo in 1941; the arrival of German forces in Smederevo; her father and brother joining the Partisans; restrictions placed upon the Jewish community of Smederevo; witnessing her Jewish neighbors being forced into a gas van; relocating to Sabac; the imprisonment of the men of Sabac in the internment camp at Jarak; the sight of bodies of executed civilians; the arrest of her parents and brother for aiding the Partisans; the release of her parents from prison; remaining in Sabac for the remainder of the war; liberation in 1944; the sight of Partisans escorting a line of captured German soldiers; and attending an exhumation of corpses in 1945.
Oral history interview with Milan Zaharija
Oral History
Milan Zaharija, born in 1926 in Sobolin in the former Yugoslavia, describes the occupation of Sobolin by Italian forces; partisan members warning villagers about the mass murder planned by Italian forces; the shooting of the men of the village of Podhum in 1942 by Italian forces; the deportation of the women and children of Podhum; being forced to assist in the burial of the victims of Podhum; joining the Partisans in 1943; atrocities committed by Ustaše and Chetnick forces; and the arrest and execution of his father in 1944 by German forces.
Oral history interview with Stjepan Klić
Oral History
Stjepan Klić, born in 1936 in Potkilavac in the former Yugoslavia, describes the occupation of his hometown by Italian forces; many young people joining the Partisans; the burning of Podhum village in 1942; his family's arrest by Italian forces; his imprisonment on the island of Rab; the conditions of the concentration camp; his transfer to Gonars concentration camp; remaining in Gonars until the capitulation of Italy; returning to his village; and Ustaša and Chetnick forces plundering his village in 1944.
Oral history interview with Tomislav Erak
Oral History
Tomislav Erak, born in 1926 in Sibenik in the former Yugoslavia, describes the occupation of his town by Italian forces; his arrest in 1942 because he wrote anti-Italian slogans; his imprisonment in Perugia until the capitulation of Italy; his transfer to Dachau concentration camp in 1943 and then Buchenwald where he stayed until 1945; conditions in Buchenwald; his forced labor; different types of camp inmates; and death of many prisoners; assisting in the liberation of Buchenwald with other prisoners; and the arrival of American forces.
Oral history interview with Zdravko Tovirac
Oral History
Zdravko Tovirac, born in 1935 in Tisina in the former Yugoslavia, describes the Ustaša taking men from his village for labor in Germany in 1941; Serbian civilians hiding with their Croatian neighbors when the Ustaša came to their village; Croatian civilians hiding with their Serbian neighbors when Chetniks came to their village; atrocities committed by the Ustaša; a shooting of Serbian men by the Ustaša in 1944; the massacre of his village by the Ustaša; a Domobran member preventing the Ustaša from killing his family; the looting of his house by the Ustaša; his family escaping to a refugee camp in Skuglic and remaining there until the end of the war, and witnessing the hanging of a Ustaša member in 1945.
