»An diesen neun Tagen sah ich jeden Morgen Haufen mit getöteten Roma*«

Rights held by: Stefan Nikolić | Provided by: Croatian State Archives (Zagreb/Croatia) | Archived under: HR-HDA-421 / Javno tužilaštvo SR Hrvatske / Box 128 / Zagrebačka Dubrava

ZAPISNIK
Sastavljen dana 14. marta 1952. godine kod Okružnog suda u Zagrebu povodom preslušavanja svjedoka NIKOLIĆ ŠTEFANA u krivičnom predmetu protiv Artuković dr. Andrije zbog krivičnih djela iz čl. 124., 125. i 128. Krivičnog zakona.
Prisutni: Premuž Stjepan, sudac Okružnog suda u Zagrebu
Jovanović Željko, isljednik
Klika Greta, zapisničar

Svjedok NIKOLIĆ ŠTEFAN, sin Štefana radnik iz Zagrebačke Dubrave, rodjen 11.XII. 1918. u Bistri, nepismen, nije kažnjavan.
Nakon što je utvrdjena istovjetnost svjedoka Nikolić Štefana, te nakon što je u smislu čl. 168 Zakona o krivičnom postupku opomenut na dužnost kazivanja istine, upoznat s predmetom svjedočenja iskazuje:
Ja sam porijeklom ciganin. Od god. 1937. pa do polovine mjeseca maja 1942 ja sam sa svojom porodicom živio u Zagrebačkoj Dubravi zaradjujući svoj svakodnevni kruh prevoženjem, jer sam imao svoje konje i kola. Imao sam ženu Nikolić Šteficu staru 20 godina,i jedno dijete Danicu, staru 3 godine. U času kad smo po policijskim organima tzv. Nezavisne Države Hrvatske bili odvedeni u koncentracioni logor Jasenovac moja žena nalazila se je u IX. mjesecu trudnoće i trebala je kroz tri tjedna roditi.
Kako sam spomenuo polovinom mjeseca maja 1942. došlo su u Zagrebačku dubravu, gdje se je nalazilo čitavo cigansko naselje, policijski organi tzv. Nezavisne Države Hrvatske i ustaše, te su nam rekli da smjesta moramo napustiti svoje domove i da ćemo svi bez razlike biti otpremljeni nekuda u Bosnu, gdje ćemo biti na prisilnom radu, i raditi na nekim napuštenim posjedima. Stvarno su svi cigani iz spomenutog naselja sa svojim stvarima prepraćeni na tzv. sajmište u Zagrebu, gdje smo bili utovareni u 4 marvinska vagona i u tim vagonima ostali smo zatvoreni 2 dana, a nakon toga smo krenuli vlakom u pravcu Istoka.
Trećeg dana negdje oko 11 sati prije podne naši su vagoni bili odkopčani pred koncentracionom logoru Jasenovac. U vagonima smo bili zatvoreni oko 2 sata i kroz prozorčiće smo razgledavali okolinu. Na jednoj poljani primijetio sam čitavu gomilu razbacanih kola, za koju sam zaključio da su bila vlasništvo cigana, obzirom na poseban tip kola koje su cigani običavali izradjivati. Takodjer sam vidio da se je nekoliko grupa cigana kretalo mimo nas pored Save, a za svakom grupom na jednim kolima vozili su se ustaše, a u kolima su se nalazili krampovi, lopate i željezni batovi. U svakoj grupi nalazili se je 40 – 50 muškaraca, žene i djece, a sve su to bili cigani. Vidio sam da su neki ljudi iz tih grupa okajali i zapomagali. Iz jedne grupe bila je jedna starica pala na zemlju, vjerojatno je bila iscrpljena, pa je tada k njoj pristupio jedan ustaša, istrgao joj iz ruku njezin štap i tim štapom je počeo nemilosrdno lupati po glavi, a nakon toga joj je užetom svezao ruke i odvukao do obale Save odakle ju je bacio u vodu. Slična stvar ponovila se sa jednom ženom iz jedne od idućih grupa. Koliko se sjećam, ukupno je bilo prošlo pokraj nas 5 takovih grupa. Nakon toga nama su ustaše počele zabranjivati da gledamo kroz prozorčiće kamenjem. Nakon prolaska tih, otprilike pola sata kasnije, vidjeli smo iz protivnog pravca dolaziti grupu od 20 – 30 ustaša od kojih su neki bili samo u košuljama, a drugi su imali ljetne bluze, medjutim svi su imali zasukane rukave i ruke su ime bile potpuno krvave, a krvlju su im bile poprskane i čizme. Nakon toga nam je postalo sve jasno, da smo prevareni, te da ćemo ovdje stradati. Kako sam rekao u vagonima smo nalazili oko 2 sata, nakon lega su nas istjerali iz vagona i morali smo u neke sanduke pobacati sve naše isprave, novac i predmete od vrijednosti. Ja sam zapitao nekoga ustašu, da li će se sastaviti popis o ovim stvarima, koje nam se oduzimaju, našto se je ovaj izderao neka ništa ne pitam. Bilo nam je rečeno, da će svaki onaj, koji zataji makar 25 para odmah biti ubijen. Na tu prijetnju mi smo u te sanduke pobacali sve stvari, pa čak i čikove i mrvice duhana koje su nam se nalazile po džepovima. Zatim su nas ponovno strpali u vagone i zatvorili. Poslije pola sata bili smo ponovno istjerani iz vagona i tu su svi mladji i jači i odporniji muškarci odvojeni, i odvedeni u jedan logor u kojem su se nalazile barake u kojima su stanovali zatočenici koji su u logoru radili fizičke poslove. Iz ova 4 vagona bilo nas je izabrano vrlo malo, najviše 10 muškaraca. Istog dana, poslije podne, oko 3 sata, muškarce, ženu i djecu, koji su ostali u vagonima, odveli su u jedan drugi logor koji se je nalazio u blizini. To je bio ograđeni bodljikavom žicom prostor otprilike 200 četvornih hvati velik, na kojem nije bilo nikakovih nastambi ili zgrada. Na tom prostoru nalazio se je veliki broj muškaraca, žene i djece, sve od reda cigani. U logoru u kojem sam se ja nalazio bilo je više hiljada ljudi, medju kojima je bilo židova, pravoslavaca i cigana. Budući da svi nisu mogli stati u barake, neki su spavali i vani. Budući da ja još uvijek nisam znao, kuda sam dopremljen, to sam se interesirao gdje se nalazim, našto su mi ljudi, koji su prije mene u taj logor bili dovedeni, rekli da bolje neka ništa ne pitam. Istoga ili drugoga dana, bio sam u tom radničkom logoru sreo svoje kumove Nikolić Janka i Antuna iz Pušće Bistre, koji su se u tom logoru nalazili već dva tjedna. Oni su bili toliko mršavi i obrašteni bradama, da ih ja nisam ni prepoznao. Oni su mi pričali da su već trebali biti pobijeni u tom logoru, pa da su već bili iskopali i jame u koje su trebali biti bačeni, medjutim da su ipak bili pošteđeni i poslani u grupu za vršenje teških fizičkih radova. Nikolić Janko mi je pričao, da s druge strane Save ustaše ubijaju cigane, te da je on zakopavao neke pobijene žrtve, a medju njima da je pronašao i svoju vlastitu ženu i djecu.
Drugog dana ujutro mi smo bili poslani radi kopanja nekog graha i radili smo sasvim u blizini ciganskog logora u kojem se je nalazila moja žena i djeca. Iz tog logora protekle noći bila je odvedena gotovo polovina zatočenika, koji su samnom bili došli prijašnjeg dana. Moja žena, koja me je primjetila, vikala mi je preko žice, da se boji za sudbinu svoju i svoje djece, a ja sam bio zamolio ustašu, koji nas je čuvao, da mi dozvoli da s njom časkom porazgovaram, što je ovaj odbio, rekavši mi da koliko sam sa ženom razgovarao, da je to sve, te da više s njom ne ću razgovarati. Istog dopodneva negdje oko 11 sati, u taj logor bila je ušla grupa ustaša koja je zapovjedila svim ciganima, da skinu gornje rublje, i cipele, pa su ih sasvim vezali žicom za ruke i to dvojicu ljudi zajedno, i odveli nekuda iz logora. Nakon toga, od njih se u taj logor nije više nitko povratio.
Idućeg dana vidio sam sa nasipa, jer se je logor nalazio kraj obale Save, na drugoj strani obale odprilike 150 – 200 metara udaljeno, kako su ustaše bacale u visu malu djecu i dočekivali ih na bajunete. Video sam da je na taj način ubijeno 6 ili 7 djece.
Petog dana ja sam sa jednom grupom cigana prebačen čamcem na južnu obalu Save i tu smo podijeljeni u 4 grupe, pa nam je bilo stavljeno u zadatak da kopamo u zemlji velike jame. Na rad nas je moglo biti ukupno oko 50 ljudi, a ove jame su bile od obale Save udaljene odprilike 200 metara. Jame su bile veličine odprilike 10 metara u kvadrad, a bile su gotovo još i nešto dublje. Svakog dana smo iskopali 4 takove jame, a radili smo od 7 sati izjutra pa do 16 sati poslije podne. Odmah prvoga dana ja sam sa jednom grupom cigana zatrpavao ranije iskopane jame. U tim jamama nalazili su se pobijeni cigani muškarci, žene i djeca. Ja sam tog dana zatrpao 7 takovih jama, a u svakoj jami se je nalazilo 40 – 50 pobijenih ljudi. Po ranama se je vidilo da su žrtvama lubanje razbijene nekim teškim predmetom, vjerojatno batom, a bilo je dosta pobijenih kojima su bili rasporeni trbusi, tako da su im ispala crijeva. Nekim žrtvama su bila odsječena uha i ruke. Izvjestan broj žrtava nalazio se je pobijen izvan jama, pa smo ih skupljali i bacali u jame, a zatim zatrpavali.
Ja sam na južnoj obali Save rado kod iskopavanja jama ukupno 9 dana. Svakoga dana nailazili smo na isti prizor. U jamama koje smo bili iskopali ranijeg dana, nalazili samo pobijene cigane, i to muškarce, žene i djecu, od koji je većina bila samo u donjem rublju, a neki koji su imali lošija odijela bili su ubijeni u odijelima. Svi su oni pobijeni uglavnom maljevima, pa su imali razbijene lubanje. Za vrijeme našeg rada vidjeli smo, da su i to obično poslije podne, sa sjeverne strane Save iz logora dopremane grupe cigana, koji su bili smještovani u neke napuštene kuće koje su se nalazile na južnoj obali Save. Oni su bili vjerojatno likvidirani noću nakon našeg odlaska, jer smo redovno svakog jutra nalazili, u ranije iskopanim jamama, čitave gomile pobijenih ljudi.
Za vrijeme svog rada kod kopanja jama, za žrtve ustaških pokolja, ja na svoje oči nisam vidio likvidiranje zatočenih cigana, njihovih žena i djece, ali sam kroz 9 dana svakog jutra, vidio i zajedno s ostalim ciganima zakapao čitave gomile ubijenih cigana.
Budući da je rad u logoru bio veoma naporan, a hranili su nas vrlo slabo, to sam ja ubrzo propao i osjetio sam da ne ću moći dugo raditi na tako teškom poslu. Budući da se je u logoru znalo, da će svaki onaj koji više nije sposoban za fizičke poslove biti ubijen, to sam ja s još jednom grupom cigana, koji su samnom radili, na kopanju jama, odlučio da ću pobjeći iz logora, čim nam se pruži prilika. Stvarno 14-og dana mog boravka u logoru, jedne noći uspio sam se provući ispod bodljikave žice i pobjeći iz logora. Tom prilikom zajedno samnom pobjegli su Nikolić Andrija, koji sada živi u Zagrebačkoj Dubravi, Nikolić Mato, za kojeg neznam sada gdje se nalazi, Nikolić Štefan iz Kurilavca, kot. Vel. Gorica, Nikolić Štefan koji sada živi u Garešnici, Levaković Stevo, zvan Mikša, za kojeg sada neznam gdje se nalazi, Nikolić Imbro, sa boravištem u Zagrebačkoj Dubravi i Nikolić Antun, koji sada boravi negdje u Slavoniji. Nakon svog bijega ja sam se prebacio u Sloveniju, gdje sam negdje u mjesecu junu iste godine, uhvaćen po Nijemcima i doveden najprije u koncentracioni logor Garmisch u Austriji, zatim u koncentracioni logor Salzburg, a napokon u koncentracioni logor Dahau, gdje sam dočekao oslobođenje.
Nakon toga je svjedok na svoj iskaz propisno zaklet u smislu čl. 227. Zakona o krivičnom postupku.
DOVRŠENO
Sudac:
[nečitko]
Iseljdnik:
[nečitko]
Zapisničar:
[nečitko]
Svjedok:
[nečitko]
[otisak prsta svjedoka Štefana Nikolića]
Otisak kažiprsta desne ruke Nikolić Štefana uzet od
Klika Greta

Kroatisch

PROTOKOLL
vom 14. März 1952 vor dem Amtsgericht in Zagreb betreffs der Befragung des Zeugen NIKOLIĆ ŠTEFAN im Strafverfahren gegen Artuković Dr Andrija für Verbrechen nach Art. 124, 125 und 128 des Strafgesetzbuches. […]
Ich bin Rom* durch Abstammung. Von 1937 bis Mitte Mai 1942 lebte ich mit meiner Familie in Dubrava, Zagreb, und verdiente mein täglich Brot mit Transportgeschäften, da ich eigene Pferde und einen Wagen besaß. Ich hatte eine Frau, Nikolić Štefica, 20 Jahre alt, und ein Kind, Danica, im Alter von 3 Jahren. Als uns die Polizeieinheiten des sogenannten Unabhängigen Staates Kroatien ins Konzentrationslager Jasenovac brachten, war meine Frau im neunten Monat schwanger. Die Geburt sollte innerhalb der nächsten drei Wochen stattfinden.
Wie ich bereits erwähnt habe, kamen die Polizeieinheiten des sogenannten Unabhängigen Staates Kroatien und die Ustascha Mitte Mai 1942 nach Dubrava, Zagreb, wo sich eine ganze Roma*-Siedlung befand. Sie sagten uns, dass wir sofort unsere Häuser verlassen müssten und dass wir alle, ohne Ausnahme, irgendwo nach Bosnien gebracht werden sollten, wo wir Zwangsarbeit zu verrichten hätten und auf verlassenen Gütern arbeiten sollten. In der Tat wurden alle Roma* der genannten Siedlung mit ihrem Hab und Gut ins sogenannte Sajmište in Zagreb gebracht, wo wir in vier Viehwaggons verladen wurden. In diesen Waggons waren wir für zwei Tage gefangen. Dann wurden wir mit der Bahn nach Osten gebracht.
Am dritten Tag, etwa um 11 Uhr morgens, wurden unsere Waggons vor dem Konzentrationslager Jasenovac abgekoppelt. […]
Am fünften Tag wurde ich gemeinsam mit einer Gruppe von Roma* zum Südufer der Sava gebracht. Wir wurden in vier Gruppen aufgeteilt und damit beauftragt, große Gruben aus dem Erdreich auszuheben. Es arbeiteten vielleicht 50 von uns an diesen Gruben, die sich etwa 200 Meter vom Ufer der Sava entfernt befanden. Die Gruben bedeckten ein Gebiet von etwa 10 Quadratmetern und waren eher tiefer. Jeden Tag hoben wir 4 solcher Gruben aus und arbeiteten von 7 Uhr morgens bis 4 Uhr nachmittags. Gleich nach dem ersten Tag befand ich mich in einer Gruppe von Roma* und wir füllten die zuvor ausgehobenen Gruben wieder auf. In diesen Gruben befanden sich die Leichen von getöteten Roma*-Männern, -Frauen und -Kindern. An diesem Tag schüttete ich 7 solcher Gruben zu und in jeder befanden sich 40 bis 50 Tote. Ich konnte anhand der Wunden erkennen, dass die Schädel der Opfer mit schweren Gegenständen, wahrscheinlich Hämmern, eingeschlagen worden waren. Bei vielen Leichen war der Bauch offen, sodass ihre Eingeweide herausfielen. Einigen der Opfer waren die Ohren und die Hände abgetrennt worden. Einige lagen außerhalb der Gruben, also sammelten wir sie ein und warfen sie in die Gruben, bevor wir sie zuschütteten.
Ich verbrachte insgesamt 9 Tage damit, am Südufer der Sava Gruben auszuheben. Jeden Tag erlebten wir die gleichen Szenen. In den Gruben, die wir tags zuvor ausgehoben hatten, fanden wir getötete Roma* – Männer, Frauen und Kinder –, die meisten von ihnen nur noch in Unterwäsche, diejenigen, die ärmlich gekleidet waren, wurden jedoch in ihrer Kleidung umgebracht. Die meisten wurden mit Hämmern getötet, ihre Schädel waren also eingeschlagen. Während wir dort arbeiteten, meist am Nachmittag, sahen wir, wie Gruppen von Roma* aus dem Lager am Nordufer der Sava gebracht wurden und in einigen verlassenen Häusern am Südufer des Flusses untergebracht wurden. Wahrscheinlich wurden sie nachts umgebracht, nachdem wir gegangen waren. Denn jeden Morgen fanden wir Leichenhaufen in den Gruben, die wir zuvor augehoben hatten. […]
Da die Arbeit im Lager sehr anstrengend war und wir nur wenig zu essen bekamen, wurde ich bald schwächer. Es war klar, dass ich nicht mehr lange so weiterarbeiten konnte. Da wir im Lager wussten, dass diejenigen, die nicht mehr arbeitsfähig waren, getötet wurden, beschloss ich mit einer Gruppe von Roma*, die mit mir die Gruben ausgehoben hatten, bei der erstbesten Gelegenheit aus dem Lager zu fliehen. Eines Nachts, es war der 14. Tag meines Aufenthalts im Lager, gelang es mir, unter dem Stacheldraht hindurchzukriechen und zu fliehen. […]

RECORD
made on 14 March 1952 at the District Court of Zagreb regarding the examination of the witness NIKOLIĆ ŠTEFAN in the criminal case against Artuković Dr Andrija for crimes defined in Art. 124, 125 and 128 of the Criminal Code.
Present: Premuž Stjepan, judge of the District Court of Zagreb
Jovanović Željko, investigator
Klika Greta, recording clerk

Witness NIKOLIĆ ŠTEFAN, son of Štefan, worker from Dubrava, Zagreb, born in Bistra on 11 December 1918, illiterate, no criminal record.
After the identity of the witness Nikolić Štefan had been established and after he was warned about the duty of stating the truth in accordance with Art. 168 of the Criminal Procedure Act and acquainted with the subject of the testimony, he stated:
I’m Romani* by origin. From 1937 till the middle of May 1942, I lived with my family in Dubrava, Zagreb, earning my daily bread through transportation, because I possessed my own horses and wagon. I had a wife, Nikolić Štefica, aged 20, and one child, Danica, aged 3. At the moment when the police organs of the so-called Independent State of Croatia took us to the Jasenovac concentration camp, my wife was in the ninth month of pregnancy, and was expected to give birth within the next three weeks.
Like I’ve mentioned, in the middle of May 1942, the police organs of the so-called Independent State of Croatia and Ustaše arrived in Dubrava, Zagreb, where a whole Romani* settlement was located. They told us that we must immediately leave our homes and that we would all, without exception, be transferred to somewhere in Bosnia, where we would perform forced labour and work on some abandoned estates. And indeed, all Roma from the mentioned settlement, with their possessions, were taken to the so-called Sajmište [Fairground] in Zagreb, where we were loaded into 4 livestock carriages and remained trapped inside them for 2 days, after which we were taken eastwards by train.
On the third day, sometime around 11 o’clock in the morning, our carriages were detached in front of the Jasenovac concentration camp. We spent around 2 hours trapped in the carriages and observed our surroundings through the viewing windows. In one field I noticed a whole bunch of scattered wagons, which I deduced were the property of Roma*, since they looked like the special type of wagon Roma* are wont to make. I also saw several groups of Roma moving past us near the Sava. Every group was followed by a wagon loaded with Ustaše and carrying picks, shovels and iron mallets. There were 40 – 50 men, women and children in each group, and all were Roma*. I saw that some people in these groups were lamenting and weeping. One old woman from one of the groups fell down, probably from exhaustion, and was approached by an Ustaša, who snatched her stick from her hands and began hitting her on the head mercilessly with it, after which he tied her hands together with rope, dragged her to the banks of the Sava and threw her into the water. A similar thing happened to a woman from one of the following groups. As far as I remember, 5 such groups passed us by. After this, the Ustaše forbade us to look through these windows, using rocks. After these groups had passed by, some half an hour later, we saw a group of 20 – 30 Ustaše approaching from the opposite direction. Some were only in their shirts, while others wore summer blouses, but all had their sleeves rolled up and their arms were completely covered with blood; their boots were also blood-splattered. After this, it became obvious that we had been tricked, and that we would die here. Like I’ve said, we spent around 2 hours in these carriages, after which we were driven out of them and had to throw all our documents, money and valuables into some boxes. I asked an Ustaša about whether a list of these things, which they were taking from us would be made, but he yelled that I shouldn’t ask anything. We were told that anyone who hides even 25 paras [currency unit of low value, similar to penny or cent] would be killed immediately. Being threatened thus, we immediately threw all our things into those boxes, even the cigarette butts and bits of tobacco in our pockets. Then we were herded into carriages once again and shut in. Half an hour later, we were again driven out of the carriages, and here all the younger and stronger and hardier men were separated from the rest and taken into a camp with barracks, where the inmates who performed manual labour were accommodated. Very few of us, no more than 10 men, were selected from those 4 carriages. That same afternoon, around 3 o’clock, the men, women and children who had stayed in the carriages were taken to another camp that lay nearby. This was an area enclosed by barbed wire covering some 200 square fathoms, without any buildings or dwellings. A large number of men, women and children were in that space, all of them Roma. There were many thousands of people in the camp with me, including Jews, Orthodox Christians and Roma*. Since not everyone could fit into the barracks, some had to sleep outside. Since I still didn’t know where I had been taken, I asked around and was told by the people who had been brought here previously that it’s better that I don’t ask anything. That same day or the next one, I met my kinsmen Nikolić Janko and Antun from Pušća Bistra, who had been in that camp for two weeks. They were so skinny and unshaven that I didn’t even recognise them. They told me that they were supposed to have been killed in that camp, that they had already dug the pits into which they were supposed to have been thrown, but were eventually spared and sent to join the group doing hard physical labour. Nikolić Janko told me that the Ustaše kill Roma* on the other bank of the Sava and that he buried some of the killed victims, finding among them his own wife and children.
The next morning, we were sent to dig beans and worked right next to the Romani* camp where in which my wife and children were located. Almost half of those prisoners who had arrived with me yesterday had been taken from this camp last night. My wife, who noticed me, shouted over the wire that she’s afraid of her fate and that of her children, and I begged the Ustaša guarding us to allow me to speak with her for a moment, which he refused, saying that I’d talked to her enough and that I was to speak to her no more. That same morning, around 11 o’clock, a group of Ustaše entered the camp and ordered all the Roma to take off their outer clothing and shoes, and they bound their hands tightly with wire, tying each of them to another person, and then took them somewhere outside the camp. None of them ever returned.
The next day I saw from the embankment – for the camp was located near the bank of the Sava, around 150 to 200 metres away on the other side of the river – the Ustaše throwing little children into the air and catching them on bayonets. I saw 6 or 7 children killed in this manner.
The fifth day, I was transferred together with a group of Roma*, to the southern bank of the Sava, and here we were divided into 4 groups and given the task of digging large pits in the ground. There were perhaps 50 of us working there, and these pits were some 200 metres away from the bank of the Sava. The pits covered an area of around 10 square metres and were somewhat deeper. Every day we dug 4 such pits, and we worked from 7 in the morning until 4 in the afternoon. Right after the first day, I was with a group of Roma* filling in previously-dug pits. These pits contained the bodies of killed Romani men, women and children. On that day I filled in 7 such pits, and there were 40 to 50 dead people in each of them. I could see by their wounds that the victims’ skulls had been broken with some heavy objects, probably mallets, and many of the bodies had had their abdomens laid open, so their intestines had fallen out. Some of the victims’ ears and hands had been cut off. A certain number of victims lay dead outside the pits, so we collected them and threw them into the pits, after which we filled them in.
I spent a total of 9 days digging pits on the southern bank of the Sava. Every day we encountered the same scenes. In the pits we had dug the day before, we found killed Roma* – men, women and children – most dressed only in their underwear, while those wearing poor cloth had been killed while still wearing them. Most of them were killed using hammers, so their skulls were broken. During our time working there, usually in the afternoon, we saw groups of Roma brought from the camp on the northern bank of the Sava and placed into some abandoned houses on the southern bank of the river. They were probably liquidated at night after our departure, since every morning we found whole piles of dead people in the pits we had dug previously.
During the time I spent digging those pits for the victims of the Ustaša massacres, I never directly saw the imprisoned Romani, their wives and children being killed, but every morning those 9 days I saw and, together with the other Roma*, buried entire piles of killed Roma*.
Since working in the camp was very stressful and we received very little food, I soon began losing strength and saw that I wouldn’t be able to work like this for much longer. Since it was known in the camp that those unable to work anymore would be killed, I and a group of Roma, who had been digging pits with me, decided to flee from the camp at the first opportunity. One night, on the 14th day of my stay in the camp, I managed to crawl under the barbed wire and escaped. The following people escaped with me: Nikolić Andrija, who now lives in Dubrava, Zagreb; Nikolić Mato, whose present location I don’t know; Nikolić Štefan from Kurilovec, Velika Gorica district; Nikolić Štefan, who now lives in Garešnica; Levaković Stevo, called Mikša, whose present location I don’t know; Nikolić Ibro, now residing in Dubrava, Zagreb; and Nikolić Antun, who now resides somewhere in Slavonia. After my escape, I moved to Slovenia, where I was captured by the Germans in June of that same year and taken first to the Garmisch concentration camp in Austria, then to Salzburg concentration camp and, finally, to the Dachau concentration camp, where I was liberated.
After giving this testimony, the witness swore an oath in accordance with Art. 227 of the Criminal Procedure Act.
FINISHED
Judge: Investigator: Recording clerk: Witness:
[illegible] [illegible] [illegible] [illegible]
[witness Štefan Nikolić’s fingerprint]
Print of Nikolić Štefan’s right index finger taken by
Klika Greta

Englisch

HRAMOPE
Kedino po 14. Mart 1952. berš ko Thanesko Krisi Zagreb, vaš o šunipe e mujalnesko NIKOLIĆ ŠTEFAN ko došalipasko kejso mamuj o Dr. Andrija Artuković vaš e kerde došalipaske buća po Artiklo. 124. 125. thaj 128. kotar o Kriminalutno Kanuno.
Lije than: Premuž Stjepan, krisari kotar e Thanesko Kris Zagreb
Jovanović Željko, rodipasko manuš
Klika Greta, hramovni
O mujalno NIKOLIĆ ŠTEFAN, e Štefanesko čhavo bućari kotar e Zagrebaki Dubrava, bijando po 11. XII. 1918. ande Bistra, na džanel te drabarel thaj te hramol, naj krisome.
Kana si kerdini personalno identifikacija kotar o mujalno Nikolić Štefan, thaj kana si informirime vaš e obligacija kaj trubuj te phenel o čačipe phanglo ko Artiklo 168. kotar o Kriminalutno Procedurako Akto, pindžardo kolesa so si kerdo, vov vakerdas akava:
Me sem Rrom*. Kotar o 1937. thaj dži ko dopaš o masek Maj 1942 me bešavas mire familijasa ki Zagrebaki Dubrava, kerindos mire love vaš o xabe e transportesa, soske sas ma mire grasta thaj vordon. Sas ma rromni i Nikolić Štefica 20 beršengi phuri, thaj jekh čhajori i Danica, 3 beršengi. Ko momenti kana e policijake manuša kotar o Korkorutno Kroacijako Themutnipe ingarde amen ko Koncentracijako Lager Jasenovac, miri rromni sas ko IX. čhon khamni, thaj trubulas pala trin kurke te bijanel.
Sar so phendem ko dopaš o masek Maj 1942. e policijake manuša kotar o anavno Korkorutno Kroacijako Themutnipe (NDH) thaj e Ustašura avile ki Zagrebaki Dubrava, thaj phangle savoren kote so samas ki rromani* mahala. Von phende amenge kaj musaj si te mukas amare khera thaj savore bi o ulavipe ka ovas bičhalde varekate ki Bosna, kote so zorjasa ka ovas tradine te keras buti pe varesave mukle phuvja. Čačes sa e Rroma* kotar e lepardi mahala pe šejenca sas linde thaj ingarde ko than akhardo sajmište ko Zagreb, čhuvde samas ko 4 dživinenge vagonora, ko kodola vagonora ačhilam phangle 2 divesa, thaj pal kodo crdijam e trenosa pe čačerigesko drom.
Po trito dives, paša o 11 časo anglamezmeri, amare vagonora sas ulavde angla o Koncentraciako Lager Jasenovac. Ke vagonora samas phangle paš e 2 časora thaj andar e felastre dikasa o trujalipe avri. Pe jekh umalin dikhlem jekh xrpa pe rig čhudine vordona, kola sas kotar e Rroma*, e vordengo tipo sas amaro. Me dikhlem vi nekobor grupe Rroma* so nakhenas paš amende phirindos pe Savaki rig. Palal sako grupa e vorda sas pherde Ustašora kola so ingarenas krampe, thaj sastrune lopate. Ki sako grupa sas dži ke 40 – 50 murša, rromnja, thaj čhavorre, savore sas Rroma*. Me dikhlem kaj varesave manuša kotar kodola grupe rovenas thaj cipinas. Jekh phureder rromni kotar e grupe pelas pe phuv, šaj kaj sas khini, thaj dži late avilas jekh Ustaša, crdijas kotar lake vasta olaki rovli thaj lasa lijas te čalavel ola po šero, pal kodo e šeleja phanglas olake vasta thaj crdijas la dži pe lenaki phuv, odotar čhudijas la ande len. Kada kerdilas thaj jekhe avere džuvljasa kotar aver grupa. Kozom so dav ma godi paša amende sas 5 gasave grupuri. Pala adava keripe e Ustašura na mukle amen te dikhas andar e feljastre, čhudindos barrenca pe amende. Kana nakhle odola, pala dopaš časo diklam sar kotar aver rig avel jekh aver grupa kotar e 20 – 30 Ustašura. Nesave manuša olendar sas uravde ko gada, dži kote e avera sas uravde ko milaeske uravimata, numa savorenge vazdine baja thaj olenge vasta sas ratvale, a e ratesa sas pherde thaj olenge kundre. Pala adava džanglam kaj sam xoxavde, thaj akate ka crdas but. Sar so phendem ko vagonija samas 2 časora, pala kodo ikalde amen avri katar e vagonora thaj trubujas ke varesave kutije te čhudas amare šeja. Me phučlem varesave Ustašos ka kerel pes varasavi lista kotar amendar linde šeja, či haćardem so phendas mange numa vov vrknisardas te na phučav khanči. Vakerdo si amenge kaj sako kodo ko ka garavel, ba te ovel vi 25 para love ka ovel sigo mudardo. Kotar i dar ke adala kutije čhudijam sa e šeja thaj čučardam vi e phabarde cigarete thaj trunje tutuno so ačhile amenge ki posoki. Pale čhuvde amen palpale ko vagonora thaj phangle amen. Pala dopaš časo ikalde amen palem avri kotar e vagonora, e terne thaj e zurale murša sas ulavde, ingarde ko jekh Lager kotar e barake kote so bešenas e phangle so kerenas fizikalutni buti. Andar akala vagonura sas ulavde cerra, majbut 10 murša. Ko kodo dive palamezmeri, paš o 3 časo e murša, rromnja thaj e čhave so ačhile ko vagonora, ingarde si ko aver Lager kova so sas nadur kotar. Akava than sas phanglo e sastreske pusavne barjasa, paš e 200 metre baro, pe leste naj sas nisave khera vaj bešipaske thana. Bukadar murša, rromnja thaj čhave sas kote thaj savore sas Rroma*. Mancar ko Lager sas buteder milje manuša, maškar olende sas Bibolde, Das (Serbijake), thaj Rroma*. Kaj savore našti bešenas ki baraka, varesave olendar čhuvde sas avri. Vi dureder na džanavas kote sem, phučavas man korkoro kaj sem, phučhindos avere manušen kola so sas angleder andine kote ko Lager, phende majlačhes ma phuč khanči. Kodo dives semas ko buti-keribasko Lager thaj maladem ma mire kumorenca e Nikolić Jankosa thaj e Antunesa andar e Pušća Bistra, so avilesa duj kurke majanglal mandar ko Lager. Von sas kobor sane thaj bare čhorjenca so me našti pindžardem olen. Phenenas kaj trubujas dži akana mudarde te oven, kerdine sas olenge limorja thaj e xiva kote so trubujas te oven čhudine, numa si crdine pe rig, thaj bičhalde ki grupa te keren fizikalutni phari buti. O Nikolić Janko phendas mange kaj pe aver Savaki lenaki rig e Ustašura mudarenas e Romen* vov praxosardas sa e mudarde manušen, thaj maškar olende arakhlas pire rromnja thaj e čhavorren.
Ko aver dives anglamezmeri, samas bičhalde te džas te hanavas i phuv vaš o fusuj thaj kerdam buti paša e Rromane* Lagerja kote so arakhelaspe miri rromni thaj čhavorra. Kotar kodo Lager ki nakhli raći legarde sas dopaš phangle manuša save so mancar ko angluno dives avile. Mi rromni, dikhindos ma, lijas te vrkni kotar e sastreski pusavni bar phendindos kaj daral vaš olako thaj e čhavengo trajo, me rugisardem e Ustašos so arakhelas amari grupa te mukel man jek minuto te vorbiv lasa, vov phendas našti, vakerindos kaj me lasa dosta lafi kerdem, thaj majbut našti te vorbiv. Kodo dives anglamezmeri paša o 11 časo ando kodo Lager dijas andre jekh grupa kotar e Ustašura thaj dije komanda sa e Rroma* te huljaren pestar peske uravipa thaj kundre, olenge vasta phangle sastrune šelesa, thaj duj pe duj manuša kethanes sas ingarde varekaj andar o Lager avri. Khonik olendar nikana na irisardaspe.
Ko aver dives dikhlem kotar e lenaki umalin paš i len Sava kaj pe aver rig si kotar 150 dži ko 200 metre dureder Ustašura, kola so čhudenas e cikne čhavoren upre karing o del thaj istarenas olen pe jagaljenge čhurika te peren. Dikhlem kaj si kadija 6 vaj 7 čhavorre mudarde.
Ko pandžto dives, bičhaldo semas kethanes jekhe Rromane* grupasa ko teluno than e lenako Sava, thaj kote sam ulavde ko 4 grupe, dende amenge buti te hanavas bare xiva ande phuv. Kote samas paša 50 manuša kaj kerasa kadi buti, akala xiva sas 200 metre dureder kotar o than paša i Sava. Akala xiva učharenas jekh umal kotar e 10 metre kvadrato, šaj vi buhleder. Sako dives hanadam 4 gasave xiva, kerdam buti kotar e 7 časo anglamezemri dži ko 16 časo palamezmeri. Ko avgo dives, jekhe Rromane* grupaja učharavas e angleder hanade xiva. Ko adala xiva mudarde sas murša, rromnja thaj čhavorre, sa Rroma*. Ko kodo dives me pherrdem 7 gasave xiva, ki sako jekh xiv sas kotar 40 dži 50 mule manuša. Pe mulenge truposke kotora šaj sas te dikhlolpe kaj si khuvde e phare kotorenca, šaj e sastrune ruvljenca, sas bukadar mudarde kaske porra sas andar lengo vogi ikalde. Nesave mudardenge sas e kana thaj e vasta čhinde. Nesave manuša si mudarde thaj mukhle ki phuv avral e xiva, bipraxome, amen kedijam olenge truposke kotora thaj čhutam olen andre ke xiva, pherindos upral phuvjasa.
Enja divesa buti kerdem pe xivengo hanavipe ke teluni rig lenako Sava. Sako dives dikhasa jekh isto situacija, jekhutno sureti. Ko xiva so hanadam o angluno dives arakasa e mudarde Rromen* muršen, rromnjen, thaj čhavorren kolendar buteder numa ko sosteja, thaj nesave so sas bilačhe uravimata mudarde sas uravde. Savore sas mudarde pobut e bare čokanenca, thaj kodoleske sas olenge šere phage. Ki vrama kotar amaro butikheribe amen dikhlam kaj sakana palamezmeri, kotar e upruni rig lenaki Sava kotar o Lager andine sas Rromane* grupe kotar varesave mukhle khera andar e teluni rig lenaki Sava. Šaj te ovel kaj si mudarde ki raći kana amen džasa, kaj sakana sako anglamezmeri arakhasa ke angleder hanade xiva xrpa mudarde manušen.
Ki vrama kotar miro butikeripe hanandos xiva vaš e xasarde so si mudarde kotar e Ustašengo masakro, me direktno na dikhlem e likvidacija e phangle Rromaengi*, olenge rromnjen thaj čhavorren, numa trujal kodola 9 divesa sako dives anglalmezmeri dikhlem thaj kethanes avere Rromenca*, praxosardem bari xrpa mudarde Rromen*.
Soske i buti ko Lager but phari sas, thaj o xabe sas but hari, mi zor sigate perelas tele thaj haćardem kaj našti buteder ka kerav kodi phari buti. Ko Lager džanelaspe kaj sako jekh ko xasardas pi zor ka ovel mudardo, kodoleske me thaj vi da jekh grupa Rroma*, kola so hanavasa e xiva, kerdam vorba te našas ko momenti kana ka sikavelpe o angluno šajipe. Jekh rati o 14-to dives kotar miro bešipe ko Lager, nakhlem telal i sastreski pusavni bar thaj našlem andar o Lager. Kethanes mancar našle thaj: o Nikolić Andrija, so akana bešel ki Zagrebaki Dubrava; o Nikolić Mato, na džanav akana kaj si; o Nikolić Štefan kotar e Kurilovec, than Velika Gorica; o Nikolić Štefan, kon akana dživdinel ki Garešnica; o Levaković Stevo akhardo Mikša, akana na džanav kaj si; o Nikolić Ibro, akana themutno ki Zagrebaki Dubrava; thaj o Nikolić Antun, kon trail akana varekate ki Slavonia. Pala miro našibe me gelem ko Juno ki Slovenia, pe kodo berš semas astardo kotar e Njamcora, thaj tradino majangle ko Koncentracijako Lager ko Garmisch Austria, thaj pala kodo ingardo ko Koncentracijako Lager ko Salzburg, thaj po agor ko Kontreacijako Lager Dachau kote kaj astaremdem miri slobodija.
Pala o dendo vakaripe, o mujalno dijas sovel kaj phendas o čačipe phanglo ko Artiklo 227. kotar o Kriminalutno Procedurako Akto.
AGORISARDO

 Krisari:                          Rodimasko manuš:                Hramomi:                     Mujalno:

[našti genavelpe] [našti genavelpe] [našti genavelpe] [našti genavelpe]
[mujalno e Štefan Nikolićesko najesko printo]
Najesko čačerigesko printo kotar e Nikolić Štefanesko indekso lendo kotar e Klika Greta

Romanes

Rights held by: Stefan Nikolić | Provided by: Croatian State Archives (Zagreb/Croatia) | Archived under: HR-HDA-421 / Javno tužilaštvo SR Hrvatske / Box 128 / Zagrebačka Dubrava

Lesung des Selbstzeugnisses von Stefan Nikolić

4.58 min

voi_00076

Lesung des Selbstzeugnisses von Stefan Nikolić | Spoken word | Deutschland | 2018 | voi_00076

Flucht aus Jasenovac und Deportation nach Dachau
Štefan Nikolić lebte als Rom in einem Vorort von Zagreb, wo er als Pferdefuhrmann arbeitete. Gemeinsam mit seiner schwangeren Frau und seiner drei Jahre alten Tochter wurde er im Mai 1942 in Viehwaggons ins Lager Jasenovac gebracht. Massendeportationen folgten. Die Ustascha-Regierung erzählte den Roma, dass sie in Gebiete gebracht würden, in denen sie in Ruhe leben und arbeiten konnten. Doch die Endstation war das Lager Jasenovac, wohin die meisten Roma des Landes zwischen Mai 1942 und dem Ende des Sommers desselben Jahres gebracht wurden. Dort wurden sie gefoltert und ermordet.

Bei der Ankunft im Lager Jasenovac wurde Štefan Nikolić von Frau und Kind getrennt. Er sah seine Frau und seine Tochter nie wieder. Er selbst wurde zur Arbeit gezwungen, beispielsweise zum Ausheben der Gruben für die ermordeten Lagerinsass_innen. Nach 14 Tagen im Lager Jasenovac gelang ihm gemeinsam mit einigen anderen Roma die Flucht. Er wurde jedoch bald in Slowenien gefangengenommen und gelangte von dort über zwei weitere Außenlager in das Konzentrationslager Dachau. Ab November 1942 wurde er als Testperson für medizinische Experimente gefoltert. Er überlebte die Infektion mit Malaria und wurde am 29. April 1945 befreit.

Diese Zeugenaussage wurde vor dem Amtsgericht Zagreb im März 1952 als Teil des Strafverfahrens gegen Andrija Artuković, dem ehemaligen Innenminister des Unabhängigen Staates Kroatien, abgelegt.

Danijel Vojak (2017)

Lesung des Selbstzeugnisses von Stefan Nikolić

4.58 min

voi_00076

Lesung des Selbstzeugnisses von Stefan Nikolić | Spoken word | Deutschland | 2018 | voi_00076