Nada Dimic
Encyclopedia
Nada Dimić was a Yugoslav
communist
who died in World War II
and was proclaimed a People's Hero of Yugoslavia
.
Nada Dimić was born in Divoselo near Gospić
, Croatia
to an ethnic Serb
family. She finished four grades of elementary school in Gospić, and then moved to Zemun
for another four grades of gymnasium
and one year of the economics academy. In 1938 she joined the Communist Youth, and in 1940 the Communist Party of Yugoslavia.
When Yugoslavia
was invaded during World War II
, in June 1941 she joined the 1st Sisak Partisan Detachment
, the first Partisan
unit in Croatia. The same year, the Ustasha police arrested her in Sisak, but as they transferred her to the prison in Zagreb
, she swallowed poison in order to avoid interrogation. It did not kill her, but she was soon rescued by the Zagreb cell of the Party, and transferred to the Partisan-controlled areas of Kordun
.
When she recovered from the poisoning, she went to Karlovac
where she worked as an undercover agent for the Partisans. She was eventually caught by the Italians
who surrendered her to the Ustaša police on December 3, 1941, which then tortured her. She refused to give them any information, and was sent to the Stara Gradiška concentration camp
in February 1942. She was murdered there a month later, aged 18.
She was awarded the title of People's Hero of Yugoslavia
after the war (on July 7, 1951). A (now defunct) textile factory in Zagreb was named after her.
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
communist
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
who died in World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
and was proclaimed a People's Hero of Yugoslavia
People's Hero of Yugoslavia
The Order of the People's Hero was a Yugoslav gallantry medal, the second highest military award, and third overall Yugoslav decoration. It was awarded to individuals, military units, political and other organisations who distinguished themselves by extraordinary heroic deeds during war and in...
.
Nada Dimić was born in Divoselo near Gospić
Gospic
Gospić is a town in the mountainous and sparsely populated region of Lika, Croatia. It is the administrative centre of Lika-Senj county. Gospić is located near the Lika River in the middle of a karst field....
, Croatia
Croatia
Croatia , officially the Republic of Croatia , is a unitary democratic parliamentary republic in Europe at the crossroads of the Mitteleuropa, the Balkans, and the Mediterranean. Its capital and largest city is Zagreb. The country is divided into 20 counties and the city of Zagreb. Croatia covers ...
to an ethnic Serb
Serbs of Croatia
Višeslav of Serbia, a contemporary of Charlemagne , ruled the Županias of Neretva, Tara, Piva, Lim, his ancestral lands. According to the Royal Frankish Annals , Duke of Pannonia Ljudevit Posavski fled, during the Frankish invasion, from his seat in Sisak to the Serbs in western Bosnia, who...
family. She finished four grades of elementary school in Gospić, and then moved to Zemun
Zemun
Zemun is a historical town and one of the 17 municipalities which constitute the City of Belgrade, the capital of Serbia...
for another four grades of gymnasium
Gymnasium (school)
A gymnasium is a type of school providing secondary education in some parts of Europe, comparable to English grammar schools or sixth form colleges and U.S. college preparatory high schools. The word γυμνάσιον was used in Ancient Greece, meaning a locality for both physical and intellectual...
and one year of the economics academy. In 1938 she joined the Communist Youth, and in 1940 the Communist Party of Yugoslavia.
When Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia
Yugoslavia refers to three political entities that existed successively on the western part of the Balkans during most of the 20th century....
was invaded during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, in June 1941 she joined the 1st Sisak Partisan Detachment
1st Sisak Partisan Detachment
The Sisak People's Liberation Partisan Detachment, also known as the 1st Sisak Partisan Detachment was the first military unit formed by a resistance movement in World War II occupied Europe. This first unit of the Yugoslav Partisans was established in occupied Yugoslavia, in the Brezovica forest...
, the first Partisan
Partisans (Yugoslavia)
The Yugoslav Partisans, or simply the Partisans were a Communist-led World War II anti-fascist resistance movement in Yugoslavia...
unit in Croatia. The same year, the Ustasha police arrested her in Sisak, but as they transferred her to the prison in Zagreb
Zagreb
Zagreb is the capital and the largest city of the Republic of Croatia. It is in the northwest of the country, along the Sava river, at the southern slopes of the Medvednica mountain. Zagreb lies at an elevation of approximately above sea level. According to the last official census, Zagreb's city...
, she swallowed poison in order to avoid interrogation. It did not kill her, but she was soon rescued by the Zagreb cell of the Party, and transferred to the Partisan-controlled areas of Kordun
Kordun
The Kordun region is a part of central Croatia from the bottom of the Petrova Gora mountain range, which extends along the rivers Korana and Slunjčica, and forms part of the border region to Bosnia and Herzegovina. The southern border of Kordun touches the Lika region...
.
When she recovered from the poisoning, she went to Karlovac
Karlovac
Karlovac is a city and municipality in central Croatia. The city proper has a population of 49,082, while the municipality has a population of 59,395 inhabitants .Karlovac is the administrative centre of Karlovac County...
where she worked as an undercover agent for the Partisans. She was eventually caught by the Italians
Kingdom of Italy (1861–1946)
The Kingdom of Italy was a state forged in 1861 by the unification of Italy under the influence of the Kingdom of Sardinia, which was its legal predecessor state...
who surrendered her to the Ustaša police on December 3, 1941, which then tortured her. She refused to give them any information, and was sent to the Stara Gradiška concentration camp
Stara Gradiška concentration camp
Stara Gradiška was the most notorious concentration and extermination camp in Croatia during World War II, mainly due to the crimes which were committed against women and children. The camp was specially constructed for women and children of Serb, Jew, and Romani ethnicity...
in February 1942. She was murdered there a month later, aged 18.
She was awarded the title of People's Hero of Yugoslavia
People's Hero of Yugoslavia
The Order of the People's Hero was a Yugoslav gallantry medal, the second highest military award, and third overall Yugoslav decoration. It was awarded to individuals, military units, political and other organisations who distinguished themselves by extraordinary heroic deeds during war and in...
after the war (on July 7, 1951). A (now defunct) textile factory in Zagreb was named after her.
Source
- Tétreault, Mary Ann, Women and revolution in Africa, Asia, and the New World, 1994 (ISBN 1570030162), 456 pages