Day Of Antifascist Struggle
The Day of Antifascist Struggle Day is a public holiday that’s observed annually in Croatia on the 22nd of June. This holiday commemorates the formation of the First Sisak Partisan Detachment in the Independent State of Croatia that was allied with Axis Forces.
Croatia (National holiday)This detachment was created on June 22, 1941, and that was the beginning of the uprising of Croatian anti-fascist Partisans against both German and Italian forces that were occupying the area. This holiday was first created and mandated by law by the Croatian Parliament in 1991.
The History Of The Day Of Antifascist Struggle Day
During WWII, German armed forces, along with Hungarian and Italian forces, invaded the Kingdom of Yugoslavia on April 6, 1941. These forces met very little resistance in their invasion of the country, and in under two weeks, Yugoslavia was completely under Axis control.
Not long after the country had fallen under Axis control, however, Yugoslavian antifascist forces began to organize. On June 22, 1941, in the wood outside Sisak, the First Sisak Partisan Detachment was created. This military unit was one of the first ones in occupied Europe that were created by a resistance movement.
From this first detachment, the antifascist movement began to grow in the country until more than half a million citizens actively participated in it. Of that half a million, approximately 230,000 of them were armed fighters. They are considered one of the most effective resistance movements in the entire war effort.
When Croatia gained its independence from the Socialist Republic of Yugoslavia in the early 1990s, the Croatian Parliament created this holiday. It’s now a holiday that’s mandated by law and is observed as a public holiday every June 22nd.
Observing Antifascist Struggle Day In Croatia
One of the most important ceremonies of this holiday is the wreath that is laid at the monument to the detachment that’s located in the memorial park that’s located in Brezovica. This wreath-laying ceremony is not only organized by the Sisak city authorities, but also by the Croatian Alliance of Antifascist and Antifascist Fighters.
Croatia (National holiday)
