Božo Švarc (Schwarz) (6 September 1920 – 4 May 2007) was a Yugoslav -

Jewish Jews (, , ), or the Jewish people, are an ethnoreligious group and nation, originating from the Israelites of History of ancient Israel and Judah, ancient Israel and Judah. They also traditionally adhere to Judaism. Jewish ethnicity, rel ...

athlete, political activist, and

WW2 World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies and the Axis powers. Nearly all of the world's countries participated, with many nations mobilising ...

veteran. Švarc is one of a very few survivors of notorious Jadovno concentration camp and one of the founding fathers of

Partizan Belgrade Jugoslovensko sportsko društvo Partizan ( sr-Cyrl, Југословенско спортско друштво Партизан, lit=Yugoslav Sports Society Partizan), commonly abbreviated as JSD Partizan ( sr-Cyrl, ЈСД Партизан, lin ...

Biography

Božo Švarc was born in 1920 in

Zagreb Zagreb ( ) is the capital (political), capital and List of cities and towns in Croatia#List of cities and towns, largest city of Croatia. It is in the Northern Croatia, north of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the ...

Croatia Croatia, officially the Republic of Croatia, is a country in Central Europe, Central and Southeast Europe, on the coast of the Adriatic Sea. It borders Slovenia to the northwest, Hungary to the northeast, Serbia to the east, Bosnia and Herze ...

. Before the start of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, he was a student of Technical Faculty and member of the youth branch of

Communist Party of Yugoslavia The League of Communists of Yugoslavia, known until 1952 as the Communist Party of Yugoslavia, was the founding and ruling party of SFR Yugoslavia. It was formed in 1919 as the main communist opposition party in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats a ...

, since 1939. During the 1930s Švarc was an active member of the

Maccabi World Union Maccabi World Union is an international Jewish sports organisation spanning five continents (Africa, North America, South America, Australia, Europe) and more than 50 countries, with some 400,000 members. The Maccabi World Union organises the Macc ...

sports club (skiing and high-jump). Švarc was among 165 Jewish youths arrested by Ustasha nazi collaborators in May 1941. He escaped execution from Jadovno concentration camp in the

Lika Lika () is a traditional region of Croatia proper, roughly bound by the Velebit mountain from the southwest and the Plješevica mountain from the northeast. On the north-west end Lika is bounded by Ogulin-Plaški basin, and on the south-east by t ...

region. In August 1941 Švarc was deported to Jasenovac concentration camp. Together with his friend and fellow Macabee Pavel Lev, Švarc escaped Jasenovac and joined the partisans in

Banija Banovina or Banija is a geographical region in central Croatia, between the Sava, Una, Kupa and Glina rivers. The main towns in the region include Petrinja, Glina, Kostajnica, and Dvor. There is no clear geographical border of the region tow ...

region in September 1942. After WW2, Švarc was among founders of

football club, and long-standing president of Partizan ice-hockey and Partizan swimming club. Švarc also served as the Chairman of the archive of Military History Institute in Belgrade. He retired in 1980 in the rank of the JNA colonel. Švarc died in

Belgrade Belgrade is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Serbia, largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Basin, Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. T ...

in May 2007.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Svarc, Bozo 1920 births 2007 deaths Sportspeople from Zagreb Yugoslav Partisans members Yugoslav communists Yugoslav Jews Yugoslav military personnel of World War II Jewish track and field athletes Military personnel from Zagreb