World War II Diana Budisavljević

during world war ii, yugoslavia invaded axis forces in april 1941 , nazi-allied independent state of croatia began genocidal campaign against serbs, jews , roma, setting numerous concentration camps in croatia. after learned children held @ camp lobor-grad, in october 1941, number of collaborators, in particular marko vidaković , Đuro vukosavljević, launched relief campaign named action diana budisavljević . action took care of serbian children women held in various concentration camps including jasenovac death camps.

with local jewish community, forced support camp inmates, team sent supplies of food, medicines, clothes , money, first lobor-grad , later camp @ gornja rijeka, both situated north of zagreb. team helped members of croatian red cross @ main railway station in zagreb, providing travel supplies workers in trains stopped there on way forced labor in germany - of men, women , children returned zagreb after stopped in maribor , linz , not allowed travel further due illness - taken care red cross , action. during work, in march 1942, budisavljević met head nurse, dragica habazin, became close collaborator in following months , years in helping inmates various camps relocated zagreb , other places.

at beginning of july 1942, assistance german officer gustav von koczian, budisavljević obtained written permission take children stara gradiška concentration camp. of ministry of social affairs, prof. kamilo bresler, able relocate child inmates camp zagreb, jastrebarsko , later sisak.

after rescue efforts in stara gradiška, budisavljević, wearing uniform of red cross nurse, took part in transport of children mlaka, jablanac , jasenovac. more 6,000 children had been moved away camps action in july , august 1942. after obtaining permission in august 1942 move children institutions in zagreb care of families, worked zagreb archdiocese branch of caritas , in way made possible several thousands of children placed families in zagreb , rural communities.

out of 15,536 children budisavljević saved, 3,254 children died during rescue or after leaving camp, exhausted torture, hunger , disease, while more 12,000 rescued children survived war. eleven members of team killed during world war ii. on basis of transport lists , other sources, card-file of children made, end of war contained information of approximately 12,000 children. upon request ministry of social politics in may 1945, handed on card-files had managed 4 years ivanka džakula.