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Monument to the Bosanska Krajina Partisan Hospital

Grmec, Bosnia and Herzegovina
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Memorial complex Korcanica is dedicated to the largest Partisan hospital, which was active in the liberated territory of the slopes of Grmec between 1942 and 1943. Composed of the central monument and several smaller memorials, it was designed by Serbian sculptor Ljubomir Denkovic. The initiative for its construction dates to 1975 with Denkovic's solution having been chosen in a competition out of 13 entries by artists and architects from the entire Yugoslav territory. The grand opening for memorial complex Korcanica was held on 27th July 1979, on the anniversary of the uprising of the people of Bosnia and Herzegovina. The central segment features two large semicircular marble blocks/membranes almost 15m tall enveloping the two-level space of the inner sanctum (symbolism of a flower bud). The remains in the lower section suggest that the centre used to feature a copper model of the surrounding hilly terrain with a depiction of the Partisan hospital once active in the area. It was lit from the top by a skylight immediately above it. Next to the monumental structure is a large circular water surface (18m) reflecting the nearby forest and thus creating a connection between the natural and built environments. Initially, the path leads the visitor up a forest slope, rises to the monument, and finally circles over the round staircase between the membranes to arrive at the hidden core in its interior. The trail continues further into the forest, towards smaller memorial elements commemorating the sites of other units belonging to the erstwhile hospital complex. Remembrance commemorations in memory of the dead no longer take place at the monument. Memorial complex Korcanica is in a poor state of repair and deteriorating at a rapid pace. It is not officially protected as cultural heritage. Subject to ruin, neglect, and squalor, it is one of the most threatened monuments to People's Liberation Struggle in Bosnia and Herzegovina, together with the monument at Makljen. There are no plans for its renovation and rehabilitation, and visiting is neither attractive nor recommended due to the area's remoteness, abandonment, and a lack of traffic connections.

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bostjan, November 30th, 2020
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