Featured monument

Tjentiste War Memorial

Tjentište, Bosnia and Herzegovina (43.3483, 18.6906)

Erected in the 1970s, the twin fractal walls of the memorial stand in solemn remembrance of Operation Fall Schwarz, also known as the Battle of Sutjeska. This pivotal moment in World War II saw the Axis forces attempting to decimate a group of Yugoslav partisans and capture their leader. Despite being the second endeavor to employ this strategy, the Axis forces failed as the majority of the Yugoslav forces, along with their leader, managed to elude capture, rendering the Nazi plan unsuccessful.

However, the battle was marked by profound loss, as the retreat did not succeed for the three brigades and the central hospital with over 2000 wounded. On Hitler's order, the German Chief General Alexander Löhr ordered the execution of all partisans, including unarmed wounded and medical staff. The partisan forces suffered heavy losses in the offensive, with as much as a third of the participating Yugoslav partisans falling in battle (~7543).

The Tjentiste War Memorial was constructed to commemorate not only the thwarting of the Nazi objective but also the significant human cost. Mirroring the architectural trend of the 1970s in Bosnia and Herzegovina, the monument is a stark, angular structure of grey concrete. Despite its brutalist design and the somber history it represents, the Tjentiste War Memorial exudes a compelling, majestic aura, underscoring the resilience and spirit of those it honors.