Genocid nad Srbima, Romima i Židovima u kotaru Nova GradiŠka tijekom Drugog svjetskog rata
The Genocide against Serbs, Gypsies and Jews in the District of Nova Gradiška in WWII

Summary/Abstract: Several ethnic and religious groups used to live in the territory of the District of Nova Gradiška before WWII. The most prominent among them were Serbs, Jews, Gypsies and Germans. Immediately after the Independent State of Croatia was established, the Ustasha started terrorizing Serbs and Jews. The Jewish community in the District of Nova Gradiška was almost completely wiped out by the beginning of 1942. The | rst arrests of Serbs started in the night of April 10/11, 1941. In some places forcible conversions to Roman Catholicism took place, but they were of little importance in the territory of Nova Gradiška. Orthodox churches in Šumetlica, ‰ovac, Ratkovci, Cage, Oku`ani, Benkovac, Vrbovljani, Nova Gradiška, Stara Gradiška, La†evac/Bodegraj and Staro Petrovo Selo were demolished during 1941 and 1942. The property of the Orthodox Church was con| scated. The Orthodox inhabitants of the District of Nova Gradiška were taken away from the villages in the vicinity of Nova Gradiška and Oku`ani into Jasenovac and Stara Gradiška concentration camps between 1942 and 1945, which is best documented by the lists of names of victims from those places. During 1943 the Chetnik forces brieˆ y appeared near Oku`ani in the Sava vally. The Partizans were present in the mountainous region of Psunj and their actions endangered the transportation on the Zagreb-Belgrade railway line since 1942. Until 1944 Partisan forces would control larger part of the District of Nova Gradiška. The number of Serbs in Partisan units was great since 1941. The Gypsies of the District of Nova Gradiška were deported to a large extent to Jasenovac and Stara Gradiška concentration camps during 1942. The statistical data show the magnitude of human losses in the District of Nova Gradiška.

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