Jasenovac () is a village and a municipality in Croatia, in the southern part of the Sisak-Moslavina County at the confluence of the river Una into Sava. In Croatian "jasen" means ash tree and the name Jasenovac means "ashen, or made of ash tree".
Jasenovac attained notoriety during the Holocaust through the Jasenovac concentration camp giving its name to the Ustaše complex of WWII concentration camps in the context of the Genocide of Serbs.
History
The Ottomans conquered Jasenovac in 1536 and that is the first mentioned of the little town Jasenovac.
Upon the conclusion of the Treaty of Passarowitz in 1718, Jasenovac was to be transferred to the Habsburg monarchy.;
In the late 19th and early 20th century, Jasenovac was part of the Požega County of the Kingdom of Croatia and Slavonia.
During World War II, Jasenovac was the site of Jasenovac concentration camp and genocidal killing of more than 52,000 Serbs, which was subsequently designated as an act of genocide by Raphael Lemkin per the UN Genocide Convention and the Nuremberg Trial, perpetrated by the Croatian fascist Ustaše regime in the Nazi German puppet state known as the Independent State of Croatia under Ante Pavelić.
During the Croatian War of Independence, in 1991, Serb forces destroyed the local three-way bridge over the Una and the Sava linking the town to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The area was subsequently mined. During the retreat of 1st Krajina Corps in 1992 from area of Jasenovac looting and burning of Serb houses was recorded and this problem was discussed by regional council of SAO Western Slavonia. While in May 1993 Government of Republic of Serbian Krajina was informed by the local residents that 18 corps of Serbian Army of Krajina which are located in Jasenovac continue with burning of the houses, also they destroyed buildings and documentation of Jasenovac concentration camp.Janja Sekula Gibač; (2014) Deployment of UNPROFOR and (un)achieved demilitarisation in the occupied territories of Western Slavonia in 1992 p. 300-301 The town was taken over by Croatian forces as part of Operation Flash on 1 May 1995.
In 2005, a new three-way bridge was opened with financing from Croatia and the European Commission. Demining operations in the area were ongoing in 2009.Novi projekt razminiranja u Općini Jasenovac [New de-mining project in the Municipality of Jasenovac], Croatian Mine Action Centre, 23 June 2009.
Jasenovac is underdeveloped municipality which is statistically classified as the First Category Area of Special State Concern by the Government of Croatia.
Demographics In 1991, the total population was 3,599, Croats made up 2,419 (67.21%), while Serbs were noticeable population with 911 (25.31%). In 2001, the municipality's population was 2,391, composed of 2,179 (91%) Croats and 141 Serbs (5.90%).
In 2011, the total population was 1,997, with 1,807 (90.49%) Croats and 152 Serbs (7.61%).
The municipality of Jasenovac consists of 10 villages:
Drenov Bok - 143 Jasenovac - 780 Košutarica - 282 Krapje - 179 Mlaka - 30 Puska - 321 Tanac - 167 Trebež - 77 Uštica - 214 Višnjica Uštička - 198
Austro-Hungarian 1910 census
According to the last Austro-Hungarian 1910 census, municipality of Jasenovac had 8,773 inhabitants which were ethnically and religiously declared as follows:Book: "Ethnic and religious composition of population of Croatia, 1880-1991: by settlements", author: Jakov Gelo, publisher: Zagreb, Croatian bureau of statistics, 1998., , ;
Population by ethnicity Total Croats Serbs Germans Czechs Hungarians Italians Ruthenians Slovenes NoteBook: "Settlements and population of Socialist Republic of Croatia 1857-1971", author: Mirko Korenčić, publisher: Zagreb, Croatian bureau of statistics, 1979.Drenov Bok9229193000000It consisted of two hamlets: Bumbekovača (pop. 9) and Drenov Bok (pop. 913).Jasenovac2,3651,3389753388021It consisted of two hamlets: Jasenovac (pop. 2,327) and Lončarice (pop. 38).Košutarica8028010001000Krapje1,0801,0723120101Mlaka 1,176371,138100000It consisted of two independent settlements: Mlaka (pop. 823) and Jablanac Jasenovački (pop. 353) with two hamlets: Jablanac Jasenovački (pop. 350) and Jasenovački Strug (pop. 3).Puska 83279729000600Together with a settlement of Trebež.Tanac1821739000000At the time of Census it was hamlet of the settlement of Uštica. Independent settlement from 1948.Trebež 000000000It was a hamlet of the settlement of Puska from 1948 as Trebež Krapjanski, and from 1953-1981 as Trebež Puščanski. Independent settlement from 1981. For Census data see: Puska.Uštica1,194492702000000It consisted of three hamlets: Klenov Bok (pop. 7), Uštica (pop. 1,077) and Uštička Gradina (pop. 110).Višnjica1801800000000At the time of Census it was hamlet of the settlement of Uštica as Višnjica Uštička. Independent settlement from 1948.Total8,7335,809 (66.51%)2,859 (32.73%)35 (0.40%)10 (0.11%)9 (0.10%)7 (0.08%)2 (0.02%)2 (0.02%)
Population by religion Total Roman Catholics Eastern Orthodox Jews Eastern CatholicsDrenov Bok922919300Jasenovac2,3651,38097942Košutarica802801001Krapje1,0801,074330Mlaka 1,176381,13800Puska 8328032900Tanac182173900Trebež 00000Uštica1,19448970230Višnjica180180000Total8,7335,857 (67.06%)2,863 (32.78%)10 (0.11%)3 (0.03%)
Politics Minority councils and representatives
Directly elected minority councils and representatives are tasked with consulting tasks for the local or regional authorities in which they are advocating for minority rights and interests, integration into public life and participation in the management of local affairs. At the 2023 Croatian national minorities councils and representatives elections Serbs of Croatia fulfilled legal requirements to elect 10 members minority council of the Municipality of Jasenovac but with only 6 members being elected in the end.
Culture Jasenovac is home to a library with over 10,000 items.Desetljeće rada Narodne knjižnice Jasenovac, Vjesnik Jasenovac celebrates May 1, the day of its liberation as part of Operation Flash, as its municipal holiday.
The village of Krapje in the Jasenovac municipality houses the headquarters of the Lonjsko Polje Nature Park: the largest protected wetland in Croatia.
Sport The municipality is home to the football club NK Jasenovac.
Gallery
Notable people Lazar Bačić Stanoje Mihaldžić
References
Bibliography
External links Jasenovac Municipality website