I’ve written about Rijeka in a previous post. A big, industrial, antifascist, working-class city on the Croatian coast… that you don’t really hear about. A Detroit of the Yugoslav shipbuilding industry, the European capital of culture 2020.
Today we’re climbing up the Rijeka hills (actually, we took the bus) to see the area around the historic fortress of Trsat. It’s a great place to have a coffee with a view of the city and Adriatic coast, but don’t think that’s it.
Take a walk around and you’ll see a huge, flat, green area on the hill – that’s a famous shrine (The Shrine of Our Lady of Trsat), and whether you’re a Christian or a person of faith or not, it’s still a nice and peaceful oasis outside of the city mess.
Hidden gem of Rijeka: Park of Heroes
Continue walking through the yard of the church and when you exit, you’ll see one more park called The park of heroes. One might assume that their close position has something to do with the Liberation theology but it doesn’t ;)

Anyway, the park is dedicated to fallen heroes in World War II, partisans who fought the Nazis, and puppet Nazi army. I find brutalism and socialist monuments to be an amazing tribute to our grand grandparents but let’s be honest. Neither of them can offer such an ambient as the peaceful Mediterranean cemetery.
Under the shadows of pines and cypresses, between green and blue shades, you can see a massive, white memorial ossuary, dedicated to the fighters in a war for liberation.

Barely visible due to its (also) white color, stand the verses of a song „Our freedom“, written by the anti-fascist fighter and a poet, Ivan Goran Kovačić who died in WW2. I can’t translate it without butchering it, so let’s just say:
He’s addressing the Freedom and telling it’s okay if it’s crawling at the moment, and can not fly freely. But one day, he says, it will fly above their dead bodies (he is aware of their fate) and revenge Death with (new) Life.

Just as we were about to go, beaten up by the strong sun, a stray cat caught our attention and we followed it down the path. The cat brought us in front of the ossuary door! Inside, you can see the names of, mostly young, people who fought in WW2.
It’s clear that locals take care of the place because we saw fresh flowers and some candles that didn’t look too shabby. One piece of the wall remained empty from names, but the verses of another song were written. It goes something like this (again, sorry for butchering but I hope you’ll get it):
We have fallen for something, to be given to you forever. For the flame to be carried on by each new generation. Yet, we’re not silent. But we said what we meant, to be clear forever…


This was a most interesting post to a historian like me whose studies embraced the world wars of the 20th century. I knew nothing of this place and thank you for bringing it to my attention and to your feeling for the poetry in the song you so ably described. You didn’t butcher it at all, your rendered it most feelingly I think. I hope to manage a visit to this amazing place when the virus is on the run, or at least when we are vaccinated so that we can travel more freely. A lovely post and your feelings for the place are well conveyed.
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You are so kind, thank you very much ❤️ I am glad you liked it. Hopefully, we’ll be able to travel soon, and whenever you are in Zagreb or Croatia, let me know 😊 Would love to suggest or show you more things that might interest you
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Thank you for this lovely post and next time you’re up there please tell those fallen antifascists thank you for me.
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Will do, gladly 😊
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A sobering post!
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Thank you 🙂
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You are most welcome 🙂
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thanks for the post.
I am constantly trying to understand what our ancestors thought about when defending their homeland.
blessed memory of them!
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I can only guess they didn’t think too much 🙂 I mean that as a compliment, like they were effective and knew what they believed in. Bless them
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That’s for sure. They did not have time for thoughts during the war. But there were worldview principles by which they, without hesitation, were guided. It is interesting how close our principles are.
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I agree.
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🌞
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And thank you for reading 😊
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😊
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Laff it
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Tnx :)
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