Lepoglava prison
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Lepoglava prison (officially Lepoglava penitentiary, Croatian: Kaznionica u Lepoglavi) is the oldest and largest prison located in Croatia. Located in Varaždin County, northern Croatia, located southwest of Varaždin prison It was formed in 1854 in a monastery formerly owned by the Pauline Fathers, which was transformed by the authorities into a penitentiary (this order would wait until 2001 for a part of its property there to be returned to the bishopric).
The prison was subsequently used by Austro-Hungary, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, the Independent State of Croatia and Communist Yugoslavia, before its current role as the main penitentiary in the Republic of Croatia.
During the 20th century, the prison was a home for numerous "unwanted" groups and often held political prisoners. This occurred during the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1918-1941), when Communists and revolutionaries were incarcerated there, with notable people including Josip Broz Tito, Moša Pijade, Rodoljub Čolaković, Milovan Đilas, Petko Miletić, Radivoje Davidović, and Mihajlo Javorsk.[1][2]
The Independent State of Croatia (1941-1945) held dissidents to the then Croatian regime at the prison. These include Ante Vokić who attempted a coup.
During Communist Yugoslavia (1945-1991) many Croatian dissidents were imprisonned here, including Alojzije Stepinac, Šime Đodan, Dražen Budiša, Hrvoje Šošić, Marko Veselica, Dobroslav Paraga and future Croatian president Franjo Tuđman.[1] On July 5, 1948, three prisoners, including three political prisoners, were liquidated by the prison authorities.[3] A memorial to the victims was erected in 2005.
