Mural in Srednjaci Preserves the Memory of the 149th Brigade
On the 35th anniversary of the Trešnjevka unit's founding, a permanent memorial featuring the names of defenders who never returned from the battlefield was unveiled.
On the 35th anniversary of the Trešnjevka unit's founding, a permanent memorial featuring the names of defenders who never returned from the battlefield was unveiled.
Zagreb's Srednjaci neighborhood has had a new mural since Wednesday, permanently preserving the memory of the 149th Brigade of the Croatian Army Trešnjevka. The unit was founded on August 12, 1991, and on the occasion of the 35th anniversary of its establishment, the names of seven members who died in the Homeland War were once again displayed on the wall, reports Narodno.hr.
The initiative was spearheaded by Fran Fadljević, a councilor for the Trešnjevka Jug city district, while the mural itself was painted by muralist Kruno Thorn. Fadljević explains that the idea was born out of conversations with local residents who wanted their defenders to have a permanent place of remembrance right where they lived.
The mural pays tribute to all members of the brigade, with special recognition to the seven whose names are inscribed among the fallen: Mario Babić, Ivica Didović, Branko Farkaš, Ivan Franjić, Mislav Tkalec, Duško Popović, and Ivica Žunić.
The brigade was formed at a time when Croatia was under open aggression and was rapidly building its own defense forces. Mobilization took place in the fall of 1991, and the first combat positions were along the Kupa River.
Throughout the war, the unit operated on multiple fronts: some of its members fought in western Slavonia, and it also left its mark in Posavina, Banovina, and Lika. Its name and wartime insignia are still preserved as part of the Croatian Army's military heritage, further testament to its deep connection with Trešnjevka.
The mural in Srednjaci is not just a painted facade. It tells new generations that the freedom they enjoy today did not come by itself and that behind the number 149 stand real neighbors, including seven who never returned to their neighborhood.
It is precisely such places that hold the deepest meaning, reminding us that the history of the Homeland War is also made up of the streets, courtyards, and families from which people left in 1991 to defend their country, not knowing if they would ever return.
