Španovica
Encyclopedia
The village of Španovica is located on the main road Pakrac
to Požega
, south of the Papuk
mountain in western Slavonia
, Croatia
. It is administratively part of the city of Pakrac and its population is 31 (census 2001).
, the town got its name "Španovica" from the title of earl
's superintendent - “Span”.
According to the 1931 census, Španovica was populated by 1,300 people (about 297 households), mostly Croatian.
On 5th and 6 October 1942, Španovica was attacked by Communist Partisan
forces with the support of the Serb population of the surrounding villages. This attack was justified by the existence of an Ustashi camp in Španovica, whose members mainly came from Bosnia and Herzegovina
, and had committed a number of exactions against the local Serb population. About 140 persons, including women, children and elderly lost their lives during these 2 days, the remaining population being expelled. The entire settlement was burnt to ashes during the period from 1942 to 1946, including the church and graveyard, all properties were confiscated.
Španovica was renamed Novo Selo in 1948, a limited number of the houses were rebuilt and a Serb population was settled.
In late 1991, the village was renamed back to Španovica but was controlled by the forces of the self-proclaimed Republic of Serbian Krajina
up until mid-1995.
The graveyard of Španovica has two monuments - one is engraved with the names of 398 people from Španovica who were killed or disappeared during and after the Second World War. More than 2/3 of them were civilians, and all of them were Croats. The second monument is a mass grave
for 70 inhabitants of Španovica, civilians found on the place of killing after the partisan’s attack on 5th and 6 October 1942. The bodies of 41 men that were taken in to the forest and executed there were never found.
Pakrac
Pakrac is a town in western Slavonia, Croatia, population 4,852, total municipality population 8,482 . Pakrac is located on the road and railroad connecting the regions of Posavina and Podravina.-Name:...
to Požega
Požega, Croatia
Požega is a city in western Slavonia, eastern Croatia, with a total population of 26,403 . It is the administrative center of the Požega-Slavonia County.-Geography:...
, south of the Papuk
Papuk
Papuk is the largest mountain in the Slavonia region in eastern Croatia, near the city of Požega. It extends between Bilogora to the northwest, Krndija to the east, and Ravna gora and Psunj to the southwest....
mountain in western Slavonia
Slavonia
Slavonia is a geographical and historical region in eastern Croatia...
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
. It is administratively part of the city of Pakrac and its population is 31 (census 2001).
History
The village was established in 1865. Inhabited mostly by immigrants from Gorski KotarGorski kotar
Gorski kotar is the mountainous region in Croatia between Karlovac and Rijeka. Together with Lika and the Ogulin-Plaški valley it forms Mountainous Croatia. Because 63% of its surface is forested it is popularly called the green lungs of Croatia or Croatian Switzerland...
, the town got its name "Španovica" from the title of earl
Earl
An earl is a member of the nobility. The title is Anglo-Saxon, akin to the Scandinavian form jarl, and meant "chieftain", particularly a chieftain set to rule a territory in a king's stead. In Scandinavia, it became obsolete in the Middle Ages and was replaced with duke...
's superintendent - “Span”.
According to the 1931 census, Španovica was populated by 1,300 people (about 297 households), mostly Croatian.
On 5th and 6 October 1942, Španovica was attacked by Communist Partisan
Partisans (Yugoslavia)
The Yugoslav Partisans, or simply the Partisans were a Communist-led World War II anti-fascist resistance movement in Yugoslavia...
forces with the support of the Serb population of the surrounding villages. This attack was justified by the existence of an Ustashi camp in Španovica, whose members mainly came from Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina
Bosnia and Herzegovina , sometimes called Bosnia-Herzegovina or simply Bosnia, is a country in Southern Europe, on the Balkan Peninsula. Bordered by Croatia to the north, west and south, Serbia to the east, and Montenegro to the southeast, Bosnia and Herzegovina is almost landlocked, except for the...
, and had committed a number of exactions against the local Serb population. About 140 persons, including women, children and elderly lost their lives during these 2 days, the remaining population being expelled. The entire settlement was burnt to ashes during the period from 1942 to 1946, including the church and graveyard, all properties were confiscated.
Španovica was renamed Novo Selo in 1948, a limited number of the houses were rebuilt and a Serb population was settled.
In late 1991, the village was renamed back to Španovica but was controlled by the forces of the self-proclaimed Republic of Serbian Krajina
Republic of Serbian Krajina
The Republic of Serbian Krajina was a self-proclaimed Serb entity within Croatia. Established in 1991, it was not recognized internationally. It formally existed from 1991 to 1995, having been initiated a year earlier via smaller separatist regions. The name Krajina means "frontier"...
up until mid-1995.
The graveyard of Španovica has two monuments - one is engraved with the names of 398 people from Španovica who were killed or disappeared during and after the Second World War. More than 2/3 of them were civilians, and all of them were Croats. The second monument is a mass grave
Mass grave
A mass grave is a grave containing multiple number of human corpses, which may or may not be identified prior to burial. There is no strict definition of the minimum number of bodies required to constitute a mass grave, although the United Nations defines a mass grave as a burial site which...
for 70 inhabitants of Španovica, civilians found on the place of killing after the partisan’s attack on 5th and 6 October 1942. The bodies of 41 men that were taken in to the forest and executed there were never found.