Dubrava, Zagreb

Dubrava is the largest part of Zagreb, Croatia. It is located in the northeastern part of the city and divided by the Dubrava Avenue into two administrative areas:

• Gornja Dubrava (Upper Dubrava)
• Donja Dubrava (Lower Dubrava)

The name comes from a Slavic toponym for oak forests. The species of oak that grows in this area is Quercus robur L.

History

Until 1945

In its earliest days Dubrava was no more than a village, consisting of a couple of houses and gardens. It slowly grew, mostly because of intensive settling of people from all over Croatia to the city of Zagreb and surrounding areas. By the 1930s Dubrava had over hundred inhabitants and was connected with Zagreb via road. When World War II began, Dubrava already had electrical power and 250 inhabitants. During the war it was a partisan base due to its relative distance from mayor cities, and yet close to Zagreb and an ideal place from which partisans could operate within Zagreb itself.

As the war raged partisans intensified their activities and started with diversions, although most of them were useless. Because of many victims of partisan bombing of public and military targets, army was sent to Dubrava and after investigations and skirmishes with partisans, the Army of the Independent State of Croatia hanged 13 partisans on December 1944. Later, these were termed "national heroes" and a monuments were built in their honor in the Park of December Victims and on the corner of the Konjščinska Street.

External links

• Official web site of Dubrava
• Dubrava News - News web site of Dubrava