Kozara National Park and the Mrakovica Memorial
A mountain national park and a monumental memorial to the 1942 Battle of Kozara.
Kozara National Park combines rich mountain nature with one of the most significant sites of remembrance in Bosnia and Herzegovina — the monumental memorial complex on the Mrakovica peak, dedicated to the 1942 Battle of Kozara.
Kozara is a forested mountain in the north-western part of Republika Srpska, set among the Sava, Una, Sana and Vrbas rivers. Its woods, meadows and walking trails make it a popular day-trip destination, lying about 56 kilometres north-west of Banja Luka.
Kozara National Park
The area was first proclaimed a national park in 1967 and has been continuously protected ever since. The park covers roughly 3,900 hectares (nearly 39 km²), largely within the Prijedor municipality, and is dominated by beech and coniferous forest.
The Mrakovica Memorial Complex
On the Mrakovica peak stands a memorial complex centred on the Monument to the Revolution, the work of sculptor Dušan Džamonja (1928–2009) together with architect Marijana Hanženković. Built of concrete and rising about 33 metres, the monument is formed of a series of vertical segments. It was unveiled by Yugoslav president Josip Broz Tito on 10 September 1972.
Behind the monument, a memorial wall carries bronze plaques inscribed with the names of 9,921 fallen Kozara Partisan fighters. The complex also includes a memorial museum preserving photographs, documents and objects relating to the Battle of Kozara.
The 1942 Battle of Kozara
The Battle of Kozara, also known as the Kozara Offensive (German: Operation West-Bosnien), was fought from 10 June to 17 July 1942. German and Ustaše forces encircled Partisan units and the civilian population on the mountain. Around 1,700 to 2,000 Partisan fighters were killed, while Axis losses are estimated at about 7,000. The toll on civilians was immense — tens of thousands of people from Kozara, predominantly Serbs, were killed or deported, many of them to the Jasenovac concentration camp.
Visiting
Mrakovica lies about 56 kilometres from Banja Luka and makes a rewarding day trip, pairing a walk through Kozara's forests with a visit to the memorial complex and museum.