Why a memorial site?

The main goal of the Goli otok „Ante Zemljar” Association is for Goli otok to be declared a protected cultural landscape and memorial site. This would enable the systematic protection of the remains of the camp and penitentiary, responsible management of the site, and dignified commemoration of the victims.

The Association envisions Goli otok as an educational, memorial, and responsibly managed tourist area — a place where visitors can learn about the history of political repression, forced labour, and human rights violations.

Goli otok must not remain merely an abandoned space and a seasonal excursion destination. It should become a place of remembrance, learning, and public responsibility.

Current status

Although Goli otok is not protected or properly arranged, it is visited every year by thousands of people who want to learn more about it. Goli otok was under temporary preventive protection from 2016 to 2019, when that protection expired. Since then, no permanent protection has been established that would clearly recognise Goli otok as cultural heritage and a place of remembrance.

Despite the historical importance of this site, there is still no permanent institutional solution that would involve the Republic of Croatia, European institutions, and the successor states of the former Yugoslavia in the systematic protection, restoration, and memorial interpretation of Goli otok.