A historic view from the early 1980s era of the monument at the spomenik complex near Korenica, Croatia, before its destruction in the 1990s and 2000s.
A historic view from the early 1980s era of the monument at the spomenik complex near Korenica, Croatia, before its destruction in the 1990s and 2000s.
The remains and ruins of what is left today of the World War II memorial monument at the White Streams (Bijeli Potoci) nature area near Korenica, Croatia.
A historic view from the early 1980s era of the monument at the spomenik complex near Korenica, Croatia, before its destruction in the 1990s and 2000s.
Korenica
Brief Details:
Name: Central Monument of the White Streams (Bijeli Potoci) - Kamensko Memorial Area
Location: ~18km SE of Korenica, Croatia (formerly Titova Korenica)
Year completed: 1981
Designer(s): Vladimir Ugrenović and Berislav Radimir
Coordinates: N44°40'26.5", E15°50'54.8" (click for map)
Dimensions: Formerly a ~15m tall structure
Materials used: Poured concrete, rebar and steel
Condition: Completely destroyed (~2008)
(koh-REN-ee-tsa)
Click on slideshow photos for description
History:
This spomenik at Korenica commemorates fallen soldiers and civilian victims of the National Liberation War (WWII) from the Lika region (such as Korenica, Kamensko and the Plitvice Lakes).
World War II
After the Axis invasion and occupation of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia in April of 1941, this area became part of the Axis-controlled Independent State of Croatia (NDH) and overseen by Ustaše military forces. While Croats made the majority population, the area of Korenica in the Lika region was inhabited by hundreds of ethnic-Serbs. During the war, they were extremely oppressed, having their rights limited, their Orthodox churches destroyed and were often thrown out of their homes or deported. Furthermore, as the war progressed, hundreds of Serbs in this region were liquidated at nearby concentration camps, most notably the one at Gospić. In light of this civilian oppression, the Communist Party of Yugoslavia sent their trusted representative Marko Orešković to the Lika region in attempts to rally locals into a popular uprising against the Ustaše and to organize a coordinated communist revolutionary Partisan army.
Photo 1: The 1st Proletarian Battalion training at Korenica, within the free-territory, 1942
As a result, the ethnic-Serbs of the Lika region instigated a revolt on July 27th, 1941 in the village of Srb, roughly 70km southeast of Korenica. This revolt would come to be known as the the Srb Uprising. This uprising began some of the first active armed opposition (supported by Partisans and Chetniks) to the occupying Axis powers in all of Yugoslavia. While these initial rebel forces mostly targeted Ustaše forces, they sometimes also committed violence and killings against local Croat and Muslim civilians they viewed as collaborators of their Ustaše oppressors, such as at nearby places like Kulen Vakuf. However, through these disorganized civilian uprisings, organized units of trained fighters were created, such as the Lika Partisan Detachment, which formed in October of 1941. Through Partisan resistance efforts, the Korenica region became part of a large liberated territory spanning across much of present-day Dalmatia and western Bosnia (Photo 1). One notable action Partisans took in this region was setting up one of the area's first military hospitals in the western slopes of Plješivica mountains within an old farmhouse (Photo 2), in an area called "Bijeli potoci – Kamensko", roughly 10km southeast of the town of Korenica. In addition to a hospital, the Partisan camp played host to a number of workshops, munitions producers and bakeries. Yet, as the Partisans began to grow in strength through the Lika region during late 1941 and early 1942, the Italian Axis forces began to take notice and engaged them in many skirmished and firefights. Then Italian soldiers themselves began to take retribution upon local citizens of the Lika region for these incursions. As 1942 went along, the Partisans showed themselves more and more to be a problem to Axis occupational forces.
Photo 2: Photo of the hospital complex at Bijeli potoci - Kamensko, 1941
As a result, in late 1942, German Army Command sought to put an end to what it considered 'Partisan meddling' in Axis efforts in Yugoslavia with a plan they called Operation 'Case White'. Learning about this operation in January of 1943, Partisan forces in Korenica scrambled to develop sufficient counter-offensive to ward off the incoming attack. However, within just a few weeks, the first stage of this 'Case White', which went under the code-name 'Weiss 1', began on January 20th, whose aim was to push the Partisans out of the snowy western Bosnian and Dalmatian mountains southeast down towards Mostar, where the Germans had a trap set at the Neretva River. As the offensive began at Korenica and the surrounding Partisan-liberated Lika region with the Germans attempting to push the Partisans east, the Partisans stood their ground for several weeks. However, German pressure began to mount and by the end of January, the Partisans retreated from their positions in the Korenica. However, despite the Partisan offensive units retreating in wake of German advancement, the staff, patients and refugees at Bijeli potoci – Kamensko hospital complex, hidden high within the slopes of Plješivica, remained through the conflict.
While the Operation Case White was not a total success, as it did not completely eliminate Partisan resistance operations in the region or capture its leader Josip Tito. However, the western Bosnian and Dalmatian mountains were cleared of rebel fighters, which resulted in over 11,000 Partisan fighters killed, making it a partial Axis success. Yet, despite staying behind during the onslaught of German troops into the Lika region, the Bijeli potoci – Kamensko was never discovered and remained untouched during the war. There are few examples during the whole invasion of Yugoslavia during WWII that Partisan forces were able to protect and keep from harm so many children, wounded, sick and civilian refugees during a time of violence and crisis.
In May of 1944, Partisans with the 13th Division were able to liberate Korenica again for a few months, long enough for there to be held a large 1,200 delegate National Liberation Conference in August to decide the Communist Party leadership of Lika, however, the town was soon lost to German troops again the following winter. It was not until March 20th, 1945 that Partisan forces from the 4th Yugoslav Army finally returned in force and drove out all Axis-aligned fighters and collaborators from the Korenica and Lika regions. These liberation battles resulted in much of the town being destroyed, which had already been heavily damaged during the war. At the end of the war, to thank Lika's Partisan forces for liberating them from NDH control, Korenica renamed their city 'Titova Korenica' to commemorate the Partisan Army commander and the new Yugoslav president Josip Broz Tito.
Spomenik Construction
Since the end of WWII, the Bijeli potoci – Kamensko area was lauded in this region during the Yugoslav era as being a significant Partisan stronghold, most notably because of the hospital complex it housed there and because the Partisans of the region gave such strong push-back against the eastward march of German soldiers during the 'Case White' offensive. As such, efforts to commemorate the space were taken very early on. In the late 1950s, work began on creating an open air memorial sculpture zone in the area of the former Bijeli potoci – Kamensko Partisan hospital, located roughly 18km southeast of Korenica in the foothills of Plješivica mountain. This memorial sculpture park, opened into 1959, consisted of six life-sized bronze sculptures of dark and traumatic figures by Croatian sculptor Vanja Radauš, which were from a series of his called 'Tifusari' or 'Typhus Victims' in English.
Photo 3: An early concept for the Bijeli potoci – Kamensko monument
Then, during the time period of the late 1970s, the Yugoslav government, along with veteran groups such as SUBNOR, outlined plans for the construction of a large much more substantial memorial at the Bijeli potoci – Kamensko complex. Designers Vladimir Ugrenović and Berislav Radimir were commissioned to create the monument, which would commemorate the fallen fighters and civilian victims of the war from the surrounding region. An early artistic rendering of the memorial concept that they proposed can be seen in Photo 3. The completed monument was unveiled in 1981 and was composed of a pyramidal-shaped steel structure, almost resembling a sailboat or tent, resting on a concrete circular platform (plinth). Upon its unveiling, this monument became the centerpiece for the Bijeli potoci – Kamensko memorial area, attracting many thousands of people per year visiting this and the many other NOB memorial sites around Korenica and the greater Like region.
Yugoslav Wars
With the onset of the Yugoslav Wars in the 1990s and the formation of an ethnic-Serb breakaway territory within the newly independent Croatia called the Republic of Serbian Krajina (Photo 4a), (which this spomenik resided within), the monument began to fall into neglect during the tensions and ethnic fighting which took over the region. Almost as soon as conflicts began, vandals and scavengers stole all of the metal sheathing which covered the spomenik's steel skeleton. While the Serb breakaway territory only lasted until the fall of 1995 after being overrun Croatian military forces and re-integrated back into Croatia, the spomenik continued to sit idle in this ravaged and neglected skinless condition. Also during this time, all six of Radauš's 'Tifusari' sculptures were stolen. What their ultimate fate was has never been discovered. Another important note to add is that during the wave of Croatian post-independence nationalism of the 1990s, the town of Titova Korenica officially changed their name back to simply 'Korenica', presumably to ideologically distance themselves from the heritage, history and politics of recently fallen Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY).
Photo 4a: Republic of Serbian Krajina, 1991-1995
Photo 4b: A still frame from the 3D visualization by Jack Sapoch of the Korenica monument [source]
Present-Day
During some unknown period around 2008, the steel skeleton ruins of the central Bijeli potoci – Kamensko monument was completely destroyed as well, with all of its steel structural elements being dismantled and stolen, presumably for scrap. It is not known what groups committed this crime, as no parties have been identified, held responsible, or prosecuted. All that now remains of the monument is the ruins of its circular concrete base, sitting forgotten and unmarked in an overgrown empty mountain field. The complex receives no visitors, no commemorative events are held here and no signs or signals indicate where it is or that it ever even existed at this location.
Interestingly, in 2022, a digital artist named Jack Sapoch put together a 3D animated visualization that depicted what the shape and form of the monument would have looked like before its destruction (Photo 4b). This volunteer effort to recreate this lost monument in a digital format is the first opportunity since its demise that its full-scale appearance is able to be understood and appreciated.
Plaques, Engravings and Graffiti:
Being that every element of this spomenik was completely destroyed (except for the sturdy concrete base), no engravings or plaques which once were present at this monument exist any longer. Through all my research, I have not even been able to find any photographic or documented evidence of what the engraved or inscribed elements that once assumedly existed here might have looked like or might have communicated. If any readers know of any photographic or documentary records of any of the engravings or plaques at this site, please contact me.
The Vanja Radauš Sculptures:
In 1956, Croatian sculptor Vanja Radauš began the creation of a cycle of sculptures that related to the horrors of war. Having himself served as a Partisan fighter during the People's Liberation Struggle which occurred across the Yugoslav region during WWII, Radauš was all too familiar with the pain, suffering and most notably disease that soldiers faced during conflict. The grisly victims of typhus, which was one of the most significant non-combat killers of Partisan soldiers during WWII, was something that Radauš was especially haunted by after the war. Completed in 1959, Radauš created a series of six figures depicting the various sad, emaciated and skeletal forms that typhus inflicted upon those who suffered from it.
Photo 5: The 1959 'Tifusari' sculptures by Vanja Radauš as they were situated at Bijeli potoci – Kamensko memorial park
As a significant amount of the patients that were treated at the Partisan hospital here at Bijeli potoci – Kamensko suffered from typhus (one of the biggest non-combat killers during the war), it was only natural that Radauš's 'Tifusari' sculpture series, which means 'Typhus Victims' in English, were considered as suitable memorial works when it was decided the spot should be commemorated in 1959. As records are sparse in relation to this memorial complex, it is not yet clear to me how these sculptures were arranged within the Bijeli potoci – Kamensko Memorial Area, however, from surviving photos of the sculptures in situ (Photo 5), they appear to be installed at various park-setting locations along the pathways of the complex. The Tiifusari sculpture set remained at this location until some point in the early 1990s when they disappeared during conflicts of the Yugoslav Wars, most notably during conflicts between national Croatian forces and ethnic Serbian forces attempting to create a break-away state. To this date it is unknown the fate of the sculptures, even whether they still exist or whether they were simply melted down as scrap metal. INTERPOL has an open investigation related to finding the sculptures. Replicas of the six works can be found at the Croatian Academy of Sciences and Arts - Glyptotheque Museum. More details about the sculptures can be found at think link from the project "War Damage Against Museums & Museum Holdings in Croatia".
Photo 6: Medical tents during WWII
Symbolism:
From sources I have examined, it is asserted that the symbolic meaning of the series of triangular shapes of this monument, created by Zagreb architect Berislav Radimir, is meant to symbolize the shape of the medical tents which would have existed here while the site operated as a Partisan military hospital during WWII (Photo 6). The construction of this 'tent' allowed access into the interior zone of the sculpture via four entrances. Such an interior space existed as a zone of 'contemplation' for the visitor, especially as this area more than likely was adorned with plaques bearing the names of those who died here. In addition, the final symbolic element of the site to consider is the way in which the highly refined geometric shape of the monument stands in stark contrast to the surrounding mountains and landscape. For that matter, the sculpture could be interpreted as a reduced form of a mountain in itself, almost as if it is meant to be a simplistic reflection of the surrounding world that draws people in with its tempting vision of a more simple, more reduced world.
Status and Condition:
All elements of the Bijeli potoci – Kamensko Memorial Area are completely abandoned and destroyed. At some point around 2008, an organized group of people dismantled the what ruins remained of the destroyed and abandoned monument, which, until that point, had still been reasonably intact, aside from its removed metal sheathing. All of the green steel beams which made up the architecture of the monument were not only dismantled, but also removed from the site, presumably for scrap or re-purposing. No one has ever been held accountable for this actions, as it is not known who the person or persons were that dismantled and stole the pieces of this monument. As far as my research has been able to establish, there are no known plans by either the municipality of Korenica, the region of Lika or ministries of the Croatian governments to rebuild this structure or restore its lost sculptural elements. Destruction has been the fate which many Yugoslav WWII monuments within the inner Dalmatian region have succumb to over the last few decades, such as the sites at Knin and Košute, for example. A comprehensive listing of damage to such memorial works in Croatia during the Yugoslav Wars can be found in a 2002 book called "Destruction of Anti-fascist Monuments in Croatia" [which is available for free viewing in our Digital Library].
Additional Sites in the Korenica Area:
In addition to the memorial complex within the Bijeli potoci – Kamensko Memorial Area near Korenica, there are several other significant Yugoslav-era historical, cultural and memorial sites in the Korenica area that would be of note for anyone interested in the architecture, design or heritage of the former Yugoslavia. The sites which will be explored in the following section include the Monument to Marko Orešković in Korenica, the Memorial House to 6th Lika Proletariat Division at Plitvice Lakes, the Monument to Fallen Fighters at Donji Lapac, as well as the Rade Končar Memorial Museum in Končarev Kraj.
Monument to Marko Orešković
On a related note, an additional Vanja Radauš sculpture was also removed from the central square back in the nearby town of Korenica during the early 1990s. Built in 1952, this bronze sculpture was created in the likeness of popular Partisan commander Marko 'Krntija' Orešković (Photo 7), who was a notable revolutionary integral in spearheading the Partisan uprising against Axis occupation across the Lika region. Later, Orešković was recognized as a Yugoslav National Hero and became one of the most popular folk heroes of the Yugoslav-era. Many monuments to Orešković existed around Yugoslavia, but the one in Korenica was the most famous by far, mostly because of his uprising activities in this region. The sculpture was situated in front of a 3m tall half-circle wall upon which was a long bronze relief depicting scenes from WWII. Next to Orešković's sculpture was originally an inscription of a poetic verse by Vladimir Popović, who was a significant KPJ leader and friend of Tito. When roughly translated into English, this inscription read as:
Photo 7: An old 1970s postcard from Korenica showing the sculpture of Marko Orešković by Radauš
"If it were not for Marko Orešković, there would still be many crying mothers.
Comrade Marko is Croatian born, but he is the mother [savior] of the Serbian people."
Photo 8: A recent photo of bronze relief, 2017
As indicated by an additional plaque that still remains at the site right in front of the bronze relief, this monument is also dedicated to the local Partisan fighters Vlado Četković, Staniša Opsenica and Petar Končar, who all perished during WWII. However, the current location of the Orešković sculpture is not known (or even whether it still exists), but some sources assert that it was destroyed in the early 1990s by the RSK Army during their conflicts with Croatian forces. However, an additional version of this destroyed sculpture still exists at a memorial park in the Zagreb suburb of Podsused. The remaining bronze relief wall at the Korenica memorial site is still relatively intact (Photo 8), but it appears often defaced with graffiti and shows some signs of degradation. The exact coordinates for the site are N44°44'45.3", E15°42'19.3", just in front of the Korenica municipal building.
Memorial House of 6th Prolet. Divsion:
Roughly 16km north of the town of Korenica is the Plitvice Lakes area. Just a few hundred meters south of the main visitors center of Plitvice, in an area called Mukinje, is a large complex that was originally called the Memorial House of the 6th Proletariat Division "Nikola Telsa" (Spomen-Dom Šesta Lička Proleterska Divizija "Nikola Tesla") (Slide 1). This division was a famous unit which was formed here in the Lika region and was award the distinction of "Order of the People's Heroes". Built in 1981, this memorial house was created in a highly modernist architectural style, while housing a museum, sports facilities, art galleries and many other cultural offerings. However, less than 10 years after its completion, it suffered significant destruction and vandalism during the start of the Yugoslav Wars in 1991 (Slides 3 - 5). In recent years the complex has been rehabilitated and is now a sports center, while recent images can be seen in Slides 6 & 7. Its exact coordinates are N44°52'19.9", E15°37'41.8".
Memorial House of the 6th Proletariat Division - Slideshow
Rade Končar Memorial Museum:
Roughly 22km northwest of the town of Korenica is the small rural village of Končarev Kraj. It was in this village where famous WWII Yugoslav folk-hero and revolutionary Rade Končar was born in 1911, who was among the initial organizers of the People's Liberation Struggle in Croatia and went on to become one of the most renowned Partisan icons and celebrated historical figures of the Yugoslav-era. He was dramatically executed by the Ustaše on May 22nd 1942 in Šibenik, Croatia. In 1959, Končar's childhood home was turned into a museum dedicated to his life. The house was a modest three levels of plastered stone built in 1910 by Končar's father, Geodon, after he returned to the region from America. This museum contained exhibits about Končar, his efforts during WWII, as well as an ethnographic section about traditional life in the Lika region. The museum was administered by the Museum of the People's Revolution in Zagreb. Historical images of it can be seen in Slides 1 - 5.
Rade Končar Memorial Museum - Slideshow
As war consumed the Lika region with the dismantling of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, the Končar Memorial Museum was vandalized and many of its exhibits destroyed. After the end of the wars in the mid-1990s, the museum complex remained in a state of disrepair and dereliction, and has remained in that condition until present day. The building today is legally under the management of the Croatian History Museum (the predecessor to the Museum of the People's Revolution), but little effort appears to have been put forward by them or any other entity to rehabilitate or refurbish the site. From reading sources and articles, it seems that this once famous attraction is today all but forgotten by most people in the region. However, despite the site's ruin, a plaque is still attached to the side of the building describing it as the birthplace of Rade Končar. A YouTube video of a person exploring the site's ruins can be seen at THIS link. The exact coordinates of the museum are N44°49'46.4", E15°33'45.1".
And Additional Sites of Interest:
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Monument to Stojan Matić in Donji Lapac: Roughly 15km south of the Bijeli Potoci - Kamensko Memorial Area is the town of Donji Lapac. At the center of the town behind the post office is a monument to local Yugoslav WWII folk hero Stojan Matić (Photo 9). It was here in the town of Donji Lapac that Matić was killed in February of 1942 while leading a unit of Partisans in an attack on an Italian garrison station in the area, which was part of an attempt to liberate the town. This monument is dedicated to Matić and the other Partisan fighters who fell during that battle. The monument consists of a 3m tall figurative bronze monument depicting Matić, built by Croatian sculptor Vjekoslav Rukljač (possibly during the 1960s). In the aftermath of the dismantling of Yugoslavia in the 1990s, the monument was knocked from its pedestal onto the ground. However, it was replaced and remains intact to present day. Modest commemorative events still occur here. Its exact coordinates are N44°33'01.5", E15°57'36.6".
Photo 9: Donji Lapac monument
Photo 10: Hotel Kamensko, before and after
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Hotel Kamensko in Donji Lapac: Roughly 15km south of the Bijeli Potoci - Kamensko Memorial Area is the town of Donji Lapac. The premiere lodging facility during the Yugoslav era for visitors coming to this region was the Hotel Kamensko, located on the north end of the town (Photo 10). Unveiled in 1979 and designed by Dubrovnik architect Petar Kušan in the modernist style, it stood out as a distinct and popular landmark upon its opening in a rural region that had few examples of contemporary architecture. During the era of Yugoslavia, the hotel was a symbol for Donji Lapac, appearing in local guidebooks and nearly all postcards promoting the region. However, as war began in the Lika region during the dismantling of Yugoslavia, the hotel began to house refugees fleeing from violence. By the end of the war, the the Hotel Kamensko had been set on fire and completely destroyed. The hotel's burnt ruins still remain on the outskirts of Donji Lapac. Their exact coordinates are N44°33'29.0", E15°57'49.9".
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Monument to Fallen Fighters at Kruge: Roughly 6km east of the Bijeli Potoci - Kamensko Memorial Area as the crow flies (but about 27km driving over mountain roads) is the village of Kruge. At the south end of the village is a small memorial complex dedicated to local fighters who perished during WWII (NOB). The central memorial element of the complex is a concrete abstract sculpture composed of two 3-4m tall arcs emanating from the ground which curve away from each other, pointing out horizontally (Photo 11). The work was built in 1973 by sculptor Vojislav Vasiljević. The memorial site also contains a WWII-era artillery cannon. Presently, the site is in an extreme state of disrepair and appears completely derelict, while the monument itself has also suffered significant damage and vandalism There are no signs that commemorative events still take place here or that the site is maintained in any way. Its exact coordiantes are N44°38'25.4", E15°56'29.3".
Photo 11: Kruge monument
Directions:
From the town of Korenica, take Highway 1 about 4km towards Bjelopolje. From there, follow the signs onto the highway leading towards Donji Lapac (Photo 12). Take this road about 15km along the valley and up into the mountains. Just past a "12% Grade" sign, you will see a small unmarked dirt road on the left going into the woods (Photo 13) -- this road can be seen here on Google StreetView. Follow this dirt road for less than 1km and then take your first left onto another dirt road that heads directly south. After following this down a few hundred meters, you will see the ruins of the spomenik in front of you. Parking can be made where it is convenient, optimally around coordinates N44°40'28.0", E15°50'55.2". Road can be muddy, so don't drive road too far in bad conditions. Also, as this monument is located in the high mountains, access here may be partly or fully inhibited by snow during the winter or early spring seasons.
Click to open in Google Maps in new window
Photo 12: The left off of Hwy 1 at Bjelopolje towards monument
Photo 13: Dirt access road to spomenik from main road (in snow)
Selected Sources and More Information:
-Atlas Obscura article: "Korenica Monument"
-German Wiki article: "Korenica"
-Znaci Archive article: "Korenica u oslobodilačkom ratu"
-Sanja Horvatinčić paper: "Spomenici iz razdoblja socijalizma u Hrvatskoj - prijedlog tipologije"
-Wikizvor article: "Odluka o promjeni naziva mjesta »Korenica« u »Titova Korenica«"
Comments:
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