Uštica – a memorial site between the Sava and Una rivers

Uštica is shaped by the history of a Roma camp during the Second World War and the memorial site there. The Roma Memorial Center Uštica and the adjacent Roma cemetery provide concrete points of reference for understanding this history. For travelers who wish to learn about the fate of the Roma, the memorial sites and the Center’s educational work are the main focus here.

Location and history of the Roma camp

Geographically, Uštica lies between the Sava and Una rivers, opposite Jasenovac; historically, the village was part of the Jasenovac camp system. From 1942 to 1945, a Ustaše camp for Roma was located in Uštica. At least 17,000 Roma were deported, tortured, and murdered at the camp site near the Roma cemetery during the Second World War. The Roma Memorial Center Uštica is a memorial to Roma victims of genocide during the Second World War. Its work includes education, providing information, and further research into the fate of the Roma.

The Center, cemetery, and memorials

The Roma cemetery, with 21 mass graves, is located right next to the Center. A black marble memorial plaque marks it; its inscription refers to 21 graves. The Jasenovac Memorial Site maintains the cemetery in Uštica. A monument to Hajrija Imeri Mihaljić stands in the park behind the Center. The House of Wails is also identified in Uštica as the place where Roma women and children were imprisoned.

Route and visit planning

The route from Jasenovac to the Roma cemetery crosses the Sava bridge, follows the Una embankment, and continues toward the Orthodox cemetery on Tratinska Street. Check road conditions and access arrangements before your visit, as both may change. A Samudaripen commemoration was held at the Roma cemetery on August 2, 2024. If you would like to combine your trip with a commemorative event, check in advance whether one falls within your travel dates.

Uštica and the wider destination of Općina Jasenovac

Uštica is one of the ten settlements in Općina Jasenovac. Almost the entire area of Općina Jasenovac lies within Lonjsko polje Nature Park. The wider destination of Općina Jasenovac is also home to the Jasenovac Memorial Museum. Its permanent exhibition places individual life stories in the context of mass crimes and preserves and presents materials about the camp and its prisoners. The museum’s activities include working with survivors, exhibition and publication projects, and commemorative events honoring the victims. Its focus is therefore different from that of the Roma Memorial Center in Uštica: there, the history of the Roma camp is closely linked to further research into the fate of the Roma.

In the wider destination of Općina Jasenovac, the Flower Memorial was designed by Bogdan Bogdanović and erected in 1966 on the site of the former Camp III Brickworks.

Discover more destinations: Jasenovac, Krapje.

View the overview of the wider destination: Općina Jasenovac.