ARHIVSKI VJESNIK 39. (ZAGREB, 1996.)
Strana - 172
J. Kolanović, Holocaust in Croatia - Documentation and research perspectives, Arh. vjesn., god. 39(1996) str. 157-174 losses on the territory of Yugoslavia was 1,706,000 human victims 18 . That number was protected by the state authorities until the death of Marshal Tito in 1980. He was the first to announce publicly in a speech in Ljubljana in May, 1945. The research of the Serb dr. Bogoljub Kočović 19 and Croat Vladimir Žerjavić 20 showed that the real demographic losses on the entire territory of former Yugoslavia were actually half of those estimated. The total number of victims on the entire territory of Yugoslavia was not larger than 501,000. The Austrian magazine "Osthefte" mentioned in 1995 that the number of Serbian victims was 500,000 21 . According to the latest research, the number of Serbs who were killed, executed or died in the Independent State of Croatia is estimated to be around 322,000 at the most. According to the estimates, 78.000 22 people were killed in pits, prisons and other camps (including Jasenovac). Every human being is very precious and every victim represents a crime; therefore, the manipulation with the number of victims is desecration of all the victims. Undoubtedly the most competent person to determine demographic losses in World War II on the territory of the former Yugoslavia, dr. Vladimir Žerjavić, discovered that certain data were misused in order to prove that a large number of Serbs was executed in Jasenovac, "with the purpose not only to emphasize the Ustasha crimes, but to 'prove' that the entire Croatian nation was genocidal and supported Ustasha policy" 23 . In his research, Žerjavić used the archival material, but he based his conclusions on the demographic method. The Croatian State Archive realized a pilot program based only on the archive sources and data published in the media of that time. The program was implemented between 1980 and 1985 and was called "Dotrščina". Its |g Ljudske i materijalne žrtve Jugoslavije u ratnom naporu 1941-1945. The publication of Reparaciona komisija pri vladi FNRJ. 19 Dr. Bogoljub Kočović, Žrtve drugog svjetskog rata u Jugoslaviji, published by Naše delo, London, 1985. 20 See: Vladimir Žerjavić, Gubici stanovništva Jugoslavije u drugom svjetskom ratu, published by Jugoslavensko viktimološko društvo (Yugoslav Victimological Society), Zagreb, 1989. 21 Holm Sundhaussen, Der Ustascha-Staat: Anatomie eines Herschatt-s systems: OSTHEFTE, Sonderband 13. Oesterreichisches Ost-und Sudosteuropa-Institut. Kroatien, Landeskunde-Geschichte-KulturPolitik-Wirtschaft-Recht. Bohlau Verlag, 1995, 283-287. Ph. Bourrinet in his work ANTE CILIGA (1898-1992). "Itinéraire d'un communiste de Croatie au pays du grand mensonge". BARBARIE NATIONALISTE OU REVOLUTION MONDIALE. L'ENJEU DU SIECLE ... Imprimerie speciale, Paris 1992. Describing the Ustasha regime he says: "Le résultat fut une terreur sans nom: 600,000 Serbes masacrés directement ou dans des camps de la mort; 30,000 Juifs extermines ... Ces massacres vont durer jusqu'à l'été 42, avec la benediction de l'Eglise catholique". 22 See: Vhd\m\YŽcrj&\\č,Manipulaciježrtvamadrugogsyjetskograta 1941-1945, Časopis za suvremenu povijest, Zagreb 24(3), Zagreb 1992,160-161. 23 There: 156. 172
