The Villa Luburić or Vila Folkert or Colonel Luburić's Centre: "Njegov stab, »Stozer pukovnika Luburica«, postao je muciliste nevidenih i neslucenih razmjera i oblika." was the seat of

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 ...

headquarters in 1945

Sarajevo Sarajevo ( ), ; ''see Names of European cities in different languages (Q–T)#S, names in other languages'' is the Capital city, capital and List of cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina, largest city of Bosnia and Herzegovina, with a population of 2 ...

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, ...

(modern-day

Bosnia and Herzegovina Bosnia and Herzegovina, sometimes known as Bosnia-Herzegovina and informally as Bosnia, is a country in Southeast Europe. Situated on the Balkans, Balkan Peninsula, it borders Serbia to the east, Montenegro to the southeast, and Croatia to th ...

). The address of this

villa A villa is a type of house that was originally an ancient Roman upper class country house that provided an escape from urban life. Since its origins in the Roman villa, the idea and function of a villa have evolved considerably. After the f ...

was Skenderija street number 49, owned by Milan Sarić. From February–May 1945, the Ustaše killed at least 323 people in this villa.

Background

In February 1945,

Ante Pavelić Ante Pavelić (; 14 July 1889 – 28 December 1959) was a Croatian politician who founded and headed the fascist ultranationalist organization known as the Ustaše in 1929 and was dictator of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH), a fasc ...

sent

Vjekoslav Luburić Vjekoslav Luburić (6 March 1914 – 20 April 1969) was a Independent State of Croatia, Croatian Ustaše official who headed the system of concentration camps in the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) during much of World War II. Luburić al ...

to Sarajevo with instructions to destroy the resistance movement. The real task of Luburić was to use the group of monstrous sadists and killers to create atmosphere of fear which would allow Ustaše to retreat from Bosnia and Herzegovina with their forces without casualties and delays.

House of terror

Luburić established his headquarters in the center of Sarajevo. Initially, his headquarter was seated in former Sokolska street (of Mis Irbina's street after the war), but he soon transferred it to villa known as ''Folkert'' or ''Berković'' in Skenderija street. Luburić and his forces also used the home of a Croatian family surnamed Babunović as well as a restaurant (''Gradski podrum''), which, combined, became known as the "House of Terror". He deliberately chose this villa for symbolic reasons, because it was a seat of Sarajevo's

Masonic Lodge A Masonic lodge (also called Freemasons' lodge, or private lodge or constituent lodge) is the basic organisational unit of Freemasonry. It is also a commonly used term for a building where Freemasons meet and hold their meetings. Every new l ...

, leaving the symbol of freemasonry on its facade. Luburić turned his headquarters into slaughter house and place for torturing and imprisoning Serbs, Jews and political dissidents. Immediately after his arrival to Sarajevo, he organized mass arrests. At the end of February 1945 his forces and local police arrested several hundred of people and hunted remaining Jews in Sarajevo. It is estimated that he managed to locate and capture about two hundred Jews. Luburić set up an "emergency court" () and organized the execution of hundreds of people. This court organized 13 trials to 85 people, 44 of them sentenced to death and rest of them to long-term prison, but only few survived. In March and beginning of April 1945 his forces killed 323 people and hanged 55 of their corpses on trees in Marijin Dvor to terrify local population. They had placards around their necks with inscription "Long live the Poglavnik". The results of this brutality were witnessed by Landrum Bolling, an American journalist.''Sarajevo: A Biography'', by Robert J. Donia, University of Michigan Press (16 May 2006); Pages 196–7

Legacy

After the war the premises of former restaurant ''Gradski podrum'' were turned into cinema ''Romanija''.

References

Sources

* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Luburic, Villa Massacres in the Independent State of Croatia Massacres in 1945 Massacres of Serbs Buildings and structures in Sarajevo