Slobodan Bajić Paja (1916–1943)
) was a Yugoslav Partisan and recipient of the

People's Hero of Yugoslavia The Order of the People's Hero or the Order of the National Hero ( sh-Latn-Cyrl, separator=" / ", Orden narodnog heroja, Oрден народног хероја; , ), was a Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia, Yugoslav gallantry medal, the ...

. He was an important leader of the Partisans in World War II in

Syrmia Syrmia (Ekavian sh-Latn-Cyrl, Srem, Срем, separator=" / " or Ijekavian sh-Latn-Cyrl, Srijem, Сријем, label=none, separator=" / ") is a region of the southern Pannonian Plain, which lies between the Danube and Sava rivers. It is div ...

. He was killed in battle against the Nazis in Eastern Bosnia.

Early life

Slobodan Bajić Paja was born in the village of Banovci in

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 ...

where he lived until age six. He was the son of a local

Orthodox priest Presbyter is, in the Bible, a synonym for ''bishop'' (''episkopos''), referring to a leader in local church congregations. In modern Eastern Orthodox usage, it is distinct from ''bishop'' and synonymous with priest. Its literal meaning in Greek ...

in St. Petka's Church. From 1922, he lived in

Pećinci Pećinci (, ; ) is a village and municipality located in the Srem District of the autonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. The village has a population of 2,448, while Pećinci municipality has 18,401 inhabitants (2022 census). Name In Serbo- ...

Serbia , image_flag = Flag of Serbia.svg , national_motto = , image_coat = Coat of arms of Serbia.svg , national_anthem = () , image_map = , map_caption = Location of Serbia (gree ...

, where his father was transferred. He graduated from high school in

Sremski Karlovci Sremski Karlovci ( sr-Cyrl, Сремски Карловци, ) is a town and municipality located in the South Bačka Districtautonomous province of Vojvodina, Serbia. It is situated on the banks of the Danube, from Novi Sad. According to the 202 ...

. Slobodan started participating in the work of the

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 ...

while still in high school but he formally joined the party during his studies at the

University of Belgrade The University of Belgrade () is a public university, public research university in Belgrade, Serbia. It is the oldest and largest modern university in Serbia. Founded in 1808 as the Belgrade Higher School in revolutionary Serbia, by 1838 it me ...

Faculty of Philosophy A faculty is a division within a university or college comprising one subject area or a group of related subject areas, possibly also delimited by level (e.g. undergraduate). In North America, academic divisions are sometimes titled colleges, sc ...

in 1938.

Legacy

Elementary Schools in Indija,

Novi Karlovci Novi Karlovci () is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, in the region of Syrmia (Syrmia District), in Inđija municipality. In 2002, its population was 3,036, including 2,897 (95.42%) Serbs. Name The name ...

Brestač Brestač () is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Pećinci municipality, in the Srem District, Vojvodina province. The village has a Serb ethnic majority and its population numbering 1,066 people (2002 census). Features Brestač contains ...

Donji Tovarnik Donji Tovarnik () is a village in Serbia. It is situated in the Pećinci municipality, in the Srem District, Vojvodina province. The village has a Serb ethnic majority and its population numbering 1,016 people (2002 census). See also *List of ...

, and

Sremska Mitrovica Sremska Mitrovica (; sr-Cyrl, Сремска Митровица, ) is a List of cities in Serbia, city in Serbia. It is situated on the left bank of the Sava, Sava river. , the city has a total population of 36,764 inhabitants, while its adminis ...

bear his name. He also has a city library named after him in

Ruma Ruma (; ) is a town and municipality in the Srem District of the Autonomous Province of Vojvodina, Serbia. As of 2022, the town has a population of 27,747, while the municipality has a population of 48,621. History Traces of organized human life ...

. Before the

Croatian War of Independence The Croatian War of Independence) and (rarely) "War in Krajina" ( sr-Cyrl-Latn, Рат у Крајини, Rat u Krajini) are used. was an armed conflict fought in Croatia from 1991 to 1995 between Croats, Croat forces loyal to the Governmen ...

, the school in

Šidski Banovci Banovci (, sr-Cyrl, Бановци / Шидски Бановци, ), also known as Šidski Banovci, is a village located in the Vukovar-Syrmia County of Croatia, near the Serbian border. The village had a population of 256 as of the 2021 census. ...

also bore his name but the Croatian government decided to rename it afterwards. However, the bust of Slobodan Bajic Paja in front of the school remains, and one of the streets in the village still bears his name. Unfortunately, at the same time a monument to Slobodan Bajic Paji together with mausoleum of 33 anti-fascist partisans in

Kalesija Kalesija is a town and municipality located in the Tuzla Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, an entity of Bosnia and Herzegovina. It is located in northeastern Bosnia and Herzegovina, east of Tuzla. As of 2013, the town has a popu ...

was destroyed and the bones were then confiscated and lost by local

Bosniaks The Bosniaks (, Cyrillic script, Cyrillic: Бошњаци, ; , ) are a South Slavs, South Slavic ethnic group native to the Southeast European historical region of Bosnia (region), Bosnia, today part of Bosnia and Herzegovina, and who sha ...

authorities four months after the end of the war in Bosnia. Although the Public Television of Bosnia and Herzegovina subsequently attempted to investigate the matter, competent investigative institutions in

Tuzla Tuzla (, , ) is the List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, third-largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina and the administrative center of Tuzla Canton of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina. As of 2013, it has a population of 110,979 inha ...

refused to open a formal investigation.

Honorific eponyms

* : Slobodan Bajić Paja Street, Banovci * : Slobodan Bajić Paja Street,

* : ''Elementary School Slobodan Bajić Paja'' in

Manđelos Manđelos () is a village located in the Sremska Mitrovica municipality, in the Syrmia District of Vojvodina, Serbia. The village has a Serb ethnic majority and its population numbering 1,533 people (2002 census). Name In Serbian language, Serbi ...

* : ''Elementary School Slobodan Bajić Paja'' in

* : ''Public Library Slobodan Bajić Paja'' in

References

Bibliography

*Narodni heroji Jugoslavije(eng-People's Hero of Yugoslavia), "Mladost",

Beograd Belgrade is the capital and largest city of Serbia. It is located at the confluence of the Sava and Danube rivers and at the crossroads of the Pannonian Plain and the Balkan Peninsula. The population of the Belgrade metropolitan area is 1,68 ...

1975. godina {{DEFAULTSORT:Bajic Paja, Slobodan 1916 births 1943 deaths Yugoslav Partisans members Serbs of Croatia University of Belgrade Faculty of Philosophy alumni Recipients of the Order of the People's Hero