The Tenja concentration camp () was one of 26 concentration camps established in the

Independent State of Croatia The Independent State of Croatia (, NDH) was a World War II–era puppet state of Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy (1922–1943), Fascist Italy. It was established in parts of Axis occupation of Yugoslavia, occupied Yugoslavia on 10 April 1941, ...

during

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 ...

. It was located close to village of Tenja near

Osijek Osijek () is the fourth-largest city in Croatia, with a population of 96,848 in 2021. It is the largest city and the economic and cultural centre of the eastern Croatian region of Slavonia, as well as the administrative centre of Osijek-Baranja ...

and operated by

Ustaše The Ustaše (), also known by anglicised versions Ustasha or Ustashe, was a Croats, Croatian fascist and ultranationalist organization active, as one organization, between 1929 and 1945, formally known as the Ustaša – Croatian Revolutionar ...

Establishment

Similar to Terezin camp, the Tenja camp was not a concentration camp in its ordinary meaning of the word because it was planned to become a small settlement inhabited and governed by Jews. The decision to establish this concentration camp was made in January 1942 by Grand Župan of Baranja, Stjepan Heffer, the military and police headquarters of Baranja and city government who all planned deportation of Osijek Jews to Tenja as the final solution of Jewish question in Osijek and its surroundings. The building of the settlement was completed in April 1942 with funds collected by Jewish municipality of Osijek Jewish Community. The camp included a building of the former envelope factory ''Mursa Mill'' used to accommodate very old and ill inmates.

Disestablishment

Around 3,000 Jewish inmates were deported from Tenja to

Auschwitz Auschwitz, or Oświęcim, was a complex of over 40 concentration and extermination camps operated by Nazi Germany in occupied Poland (in a portion annexed into Germany in 1939) during World War II and the Holocaust. It consisted of Auschw ...

and Jasenovac. The first departure of 1,700 inmates was organized on 14 August 1942, second on 18 August and remaining inmates were deported at the end of August, some of them first to Lobor concentration camp and then to Auschwitz.

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Establishment

Disestablishment

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Further reading