Bogdan Bogdanović: Stone Flower, motif

On the anniversary of the breakout from the Ustaša camp Jasenovac, Documenta - the Centre for Dealing with the Past reminds us that exactly 80 years ago, around 600 prisoners from the central camp Jasenovac III - Ciglana burst through the gates and ran towards the eastern entrance of the camp.

The Ustaša camp guards opened fire on them. Only 90 detainees survived. Several hours after their breakout, 167 detainees from Kožara also charged at the guards. Only twelve of them survived.

The commemoration programme, announced as a shift towards the future of remembrance, was prepared by students from the Academy of Dramatic Arts. The collective mourning began with readings from speeches that surviving detainees had given in previous years.

“It is surprising that this year none of the survivors addressed those gathered, although they were present at the commemoration,” Documenta points out. The association expresses concern that the Memorial Area is still led by an acting director, rather than being managed by professional leadership. It also warns that the process of changing narratives and softening terminology about the suffering in the Ustaša concentration camp continues:

“The institution’s website and information boards do not mention that the Holocaust, genocide against Serbs and against Roma, were committed in the camp.”

A performance of the Memory Path was announced. At today’s commemoration, the publication “80 Years, 80 Destinies” was distributed. Documenta welcomes the individualisation of suffering through brief biographies of victims, accompanied by their photographs, but warns that the reasons for taking them to the camp are missing. “In the future of remembrance, there must be room for the reason why the prisoners died. It is not stated that they were killed simply because they were Serbs, Jews, Roma or disagreed with the policies implemented by the Ustaša regime.”

The association considers it a significant step forward that in 2024, the Memorial Area recorded a slight increase in school visits. Of groups from 56 schools, 32 were from primary schools and 24 from secondary schools. Additionally, the Jasenovac Memorial Area was visited by 15 schools from abroad.