The memory of the Partisan heroine
Lepa Radic was an ordinary girl, one cheerful, a little girl like all teenage girls, schoolgirl, who fantasized about the first date with boys, and who knows nothing else.
She was someone's sympathy from Bosanska Krupa. Today she would be a grandmother with many grandchildren, great-grandchildren, ...
But Lepa Radic had only 17 years old when under the gallows tried to address the trapped people from the refuge, but the noose broke her last words.
This is a reminder of one of the many brave girls and women who gave their lives defending the freedom of theirs people and a reminder of all the heroines of our history.
She was born on 19 December 1925 in the village Gasnica near Gradiska, Bosnia and Herzegovina. She finished elementary school in neighboring Bistrica. She attended the first class of women Vocational School, with her older sister Dara, in Bosanska Krupa. As a student, she emphasized the hard work and seriousness. Her role model was uncle Vladeta Radic, who was a high school student involved in the progressive labor movement.
During the first offensive on rebels Kozara, in November 1941, the Ustashas arrested Lepa and all the remaining family members Radic but, with the help of illegal partisan associates after 20 days of mistreatment in the Ustasha prison in Gradiska they were released.
After being released from prison she joined up to the 2nd Krajina Detachment. As a member of the staff for the evacuation of the wounded and the population of the endangered areas, Lepa was among the most prominent organizers of refugees who, in February 1943, found in the frozen Grmeč. Towards this mountain were advancing units from the 714th, 717th, 369th and 7th SS "Prinz Eugen" division.
In the evening of February 8, 1943. refuge which was led by Lepa Radic suddenly were surrounded but she remained calm and brave.
She fired at the Germans from their rifles, defended the urging people to fight with their bare hands, not to give up. She tried, God knows how many times, to protect people who were caught by SS and abused on the way to Bosanska Krupa, "Kill me, people are not guilty" she shouting, staggering under the blows of legionnaires of the 369th Division.
After three days of abuse, She was brought before built gallows. On the stand under the gallows, Lepa tried to address the trapped people from the refuge, but the noose broke her last words.
The report on the execution of SS wrote that: "the bandit girl, hanging in Bosanska Krupa, has shown unprecedented defiance".
She was only 17 years old.
This is so horrifying. Thank you for sharing her story. I can't believe she was so brave. Incredible.
ReplyDeleteDid they find out if where she was buried after her terrible hanging.. Brave brave girl..
ReplyDeletethe death of this beautiful girl just goes to show german soldiers were very cruel ,allthose whom were responsible for her being put to death should be hanged the same way ,and if there are no survivers from that time ,all their decendants should be put to death in exactly the same way .this may seem unjust but what about her decendants that never got to be,lepa never got to fall in LOVE ,have a family,be a grandmother ...or saw the peace that came to her country after they drove the nazi,s out.
ReplyDeleteSo all of the Nazi's descendants should be put to death in exactly the same way? Yikes! So should we all then be held accountable for the sins of our ancestors?
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