Šumarice – Kragujevac Memorial Park (2,778 names of victims of the 21 October 1941 massacre, memorial)

Šumarice – Kragujevac Memorial Park

Šumarice – a wood 3 km from the centre of Kragujevac.

21 October 1941 – the place where the Germans executed 2,778–7,000 Serbian civilians.

Today: the Memorial Park – a memorial to the victims of the massacre (one of the largest memorials in Europe dedicated to civilian victims of WWII).

📍 Location and size

Address: Šumarice, Kragujevac, Serbia (3 km from the city centre).

Size: 352 hectares (3.52 km²) – one of the largest memorial parks in Europe.

Opened: 21 October 1953 (12 years after the massacre).

Status: Cultural monument of exceptional importance (Republic of Serbia).

UNESCO: Serbia has proposed Šumarice for World Heritage status – currently under consideration.

🏛️ Main monuments in the Memorial Park

Šumarice contains more than 30 monuments – each dedicated to a particular group of victims.

The best-known monuments:

1. Monument to the Executed Pupils and Teachers (1963)

• Author: Antun Augustinčić (Croatian sculptor)
• Description: Three figures (a schoolboy, a schoolgirl, a teacher) – symbolising the 300+ pupils and 20+ teachers who were executed
• Height: 3 metres
• Location: The place where the grammar-school pupils were executed
• Inscription: "To the pupils and teachers of the Kragujevac Grammar School – executed on 21 October 1941"

2. "V-3" (Three Fists) – 1979

• Author: Nandor Glid (Yugoslav sculptor)
• Description: Three enormous fists (clenched) – symbolising resistance and strength
• Height: 10 metres (each fist)
• Material: Concrete
• Symbol: Serbian resistance to the German occupation

3. "The Kragujevac October" (Monument "A Hundred for One") – 1979

• Author: Miodrag Živković (Serbian sculptor)
• Description: 100 figures (men, women, children) – symbolising the "rule of 100 for 1"
• Height: Figures 2–3 metres
• Arrangement: In the wood (where the Serbs were executed)
• Symbol: Each figure represents a victim of the massacre

4. The Memorial Ossuary (1970)

• Description: A building housing the remains of the victims (mass graves)
• Inside: A wall bearing the names of the victims – 2,778 names engraved
• Symbol: Every name, every story

5. The 21 October Museum (1976)

• Description: A museum dedicated to the massacre
• Exhibits: Photographs of the massacre (taken by German soldiers), personal belongings of the victims (school books, documents), German documents (the order of General Böhme), testimonies of survivors
• Aim: Educating younger generations about the massacre

📜 The wall of names – 2,778 victims

The Memorial Ossuary (1970) – the building at Šumarice where the victims' names are engraved.

The wall of names:

• 2,778 names engraved (officially documented victims)
• The names are organised by category: grammar-school pupils, workers of the "Zastava" factory, peasants, citizens of Kragujevac
• Beside each name: age, occupation (where known)

Examples of names (from the wall):

These are only 5 of the 2,778 names engraved on the wall.

Important: It is estimated that 5,000–7,000 Serbs were killed in Kragujevac (21 October 1941), but only 2,778 names have been documented (the others were not identified or were buried in mass graves).

🕊️ Every year – the commemoration on 21 October

21 October – the Day of Remembrance for the victims of the massacre.

Every year (21 October) – citizens of Kragujevac and of all Serbia come to Šumarice:

• Commemoration: Officials, families of the victims, citizens
• Laying of flowers: On the monuments (Monument to the Executed Pupils, V-3, the Memorial Ossuary)
• Reading of the names: 2,778 names read aloud (lasting 2 hours)
• Minute of silence: At 12:00 (the time when the massacre began in 1941)
• Grammar-school pupils: They come every year – commemorating the executed pupils

Atmosphere:

• Thousands of people (5,000–10,000)
• The weeping of the victims' families
• Flowers everywhere (the monuments covered in flowers)
• Silence (the minute of silence – the only sound: the wind through the trees)

🌍 International significance – one of the largest memorials in Europe

Šumarice – one of the largest memorials in Europe dedicated to civilian victims of WWII.

Comparison with other memorials:

Conclusion: Šumarice – the largest memorial (by number of victims and size) in Europe dedicated to civilian victims of WWII.

UNESCO: Serbia has proposed Šumarice for World Heritage status – currently under consideration. If accepted, Šumarice will be recognised as world heritage (like Auschwitz in Poland).

🎓 Educational significance – pupils visit Šumarice

Every year – thousands of pupils from Serbia come to Šumarice (school excursions):

• Tour of the Memorial Park: Monuments, museum, the Memorial Ossuary
• Reading of names: Pupils read the names of the executed grammar-school pupils
• Stories of the massacre: Guides tell the stories of the victims
• Aim: Pupils must know what happened – lest it be forgotten

A pupil's testimony (Ana Petrović, 16 years old, Belgrade):

"We came to Šumarice with our school. I saw the names on the wall – 2,778 names. Many were children (11–18 years old). I saw the name 'Milan Jovanović, 16 years old, grammar-school pupil'. The same age as me. I wept. How is it possible that the Germans executed CHILDREN? Only because they were Serbs? I will never forget. Never."

– Ana Petrović, pupil (16 years old)

🇷🇸 The Serbian perspective – Šumarice = a symbol of Serbian suffering

For the Serbian people, Šumarice is a symbol of Serbian suffering in WWII:

• 21 October 1941 – the darkest day of Kragujevac (2,778–7,000 Serbs executed)
• Šumarice – the place where they were killed (today a memorial)
• 2,778 names engraved on the monuments – every name, every story
• Every year (21 October) – citizens come, lay flowers, do not forget
• Pupils come every year – learning about the massacre (a new generation that will not forget)
• UNESCO – proposed for World Heritage status (so that the whole world may know)

"Šumarice – the Memorial Park in Kragujevac (a memorial to the victims of the 21 October 1941 massacre). 352 hectares – one of the largest memorials in Europe. Monuments: To the Executed Pupils (Augustinčić), V-3 (three fists), The Kragujevac October (100 figures). The Memorial Ossuary: 2,778 names engraved on the wall. Every name. Every story. Every child. Every year (21 October) – citizens come, lay flowers, read the names, a minute of silence. A new generation learns about the massacre (thousands of pupils visit every year). UNESCO – proposed for World Heritage status. Šumarice = a symbol of Serbian suffering in WWII. WE WILL NEVER FORGET."