Few of Croatia’s World War II memorials command as much mystique as the Monument to the Uprising of the People of Banija and Kordun, a many-curved metal-clad lump that rises from the wooded ridge of Petrova Gora south of Karlovac.

Its commanding presence can be seen from miles around; on closer inspection however it is rather a sad sight, its shiny facade ruptured to reveal skeletal girders and concrete within.

Background

Completed in 1982, the monument was designed by prolific abstract sculptor Vojin Bakić – whose work can also be seen at the Dotrščina memorial site in Zagreb. Composed of a series of monumental interlocking cylinders, it held a museum display recalling the exploits of local partisans and the sufferings of the local (predominantly Serbian) population at the hands of Croatian quislings.

A popular destination for sightseers and school trips, the memorial was abandoned in 1991 and its contents looted. With its interior closed and the exterior in increasingly bad condition, the monument continues to be visited by those drawn by its uncompromising architecture and the memory of those it was built to honour.

The densely wooded Petrova Gora highlands have added historical resonances, having been the site of a medieval battle between Croatia’s last king Petar Svačić and conquering Hungarian King Koloman I.

Practical Info

By car: The monument is located 35km southeast of Karlovac, in the hills south of Vojnić. A signed road leads through dense forest to the monument from the Lovački Dom Muljava restaurant.