Necropolis for the victims of fascism An overgrown memorial in Novi Travnik

The necropolis of the victims of fascism in Novi Travnik is one of the twenty-one monuments in the former Yugoslavia designed by Bogdan Bogdanović, and is an essential part of his opus.

It was built in 1975 and is composed of an approach path consisting of terraced steps, a hillock and surrounding landscape and a group of twelve sculptures. The concept of the memorial derives from the relationship between these elements, between the natural setting and the designer’s imagination. The sculptures are set in pairs forming two irregular rows, with the distance between the pairs ranging from two to three metres.

In the case of the necropolis of the victims of fascism, Bogdanović placed twelve stone soldier guards, intended to remain there forever, eyes wide open, guardians of the innocent, on the alert to prevent them from coming to harm. Depending on one’s point of view, the sculptures appear identical, but careful examination reveals that some are longer and others wider, suggesting that the designer sought to individualize them and thereby to indicate that each one represents a person, a soldier. The sculptures are 200 cm in height, 140 cm in width and 75 cm deep.

The property was listed Institute for the Protection of the Cultural and Natural Heritage of BiH under the heading “Memorial at Smreke, Stojkovići, Novi Travnik,” but was not on the Register of immovable cultural monuments.

The memorial is in a state of neglect, overgrown with thorny scrub and the area around it is used as an agricultural property. The paths and plateaux are also at risk as a result of neglect, 3 monoliths are destroyed.

(Source: Bosnia- Herzegovina Commission to Preserve National Monuments)

Read also: “The Memorial works of Bogdan Bogdanović: Their condition and situation as of 2012.”

markokrojac.blogspot.it

Marko Krojač

Into photography since 1990. Since 2003 exploring the monuments to the revolution in the area of ex-Yugolavia. (an on-going Project) From 2013 on active member in the screen-print collective CZentrifuga, based in Berlin