What is "jazovka"

Jazovka is a pit in the Žumberak area of Croatia where the bodies of hundreds of Croatian soldiers and civilians were dumped during and after the Second World War.

The commemoration organizers state that at a depth of around , some 470 skeletons were found. The first victims were soldiers of the Independent State of Croatia captured by Partisan forces after a battle near Krašić in January 1943, and later in 1945 the pit was used to dispose of bodies of prisoners of war, as well as wounded soldiers, medical staff and nuns.

Although locally known, the pit was rediscovered in 1990, after the fall of communism in Croatia. A pilgrimage to the site is held annually on June 22, coinciding with the Anti-Fascist Struggle Day. The pilgrimages to the site have been organised by the Catholic Church in Croatia and stations of the cross line the path to the pit. The event is frequented by fringe right wing groups in Croatia.