Memorial park Bubanj
Memorial park Bubanj is situated to the south-west from Niš center on a green hill called Bubanj (Serb. drum). During the Second World War Bubanj was one of the biggest execution sites in Yugoslavia. First shooting was held here in 1942 when 42 captives of nearby concentration camp Crveni Krst were killed. After a tentative of captives to run away on the 12th of February 1942 fascists started to shoot about 100 persons per day and during 16th and 17th of February they shot more than 1400 of captives. Number of killed is still not known, fascists threw bodies in a pit but then in august 1944 they dug out bones and burnt them trying to hide their crimes, burning the remains took up to 20 days. The estimated number of victims fluctuates between 10000 and 15000.
Memorial park consists of several parts that symbolize frightful events that took place here:
Forest was the main site of partisan’s struggle with fascists; path leading to the Monuments symbolizes their way to freedom.
The Monument consists of white marble horizontal friezes with relief showing scenes of victims’ sufferings and final victory of freedom, and 3 stone obelisks resembling fists of a child, woman and a man – victims of the concentration camp. The Monument was unveiled during the anniversary of liberation of Niš on the 14th of October 1963, the Monument was made by Croatian sculptor Ivan Stambolić.
