Created in , the Jewish cemetery in Djakovo possesses the unique feature of containing individual burial sites for victims of the Shoah. A collective monument has been erected as well. The illuminated registry of the burial society Hevra Kadisha of Djakovo, which dates back to , is preserved in the Jewish Historical Museum of Belgrade. A school and synagogue were quickly built, presided over by Rabbi Samuel Spitzer, author of religious, cultural, and historical books.
His son, Hugo Spitzer, became a pioneer of Zionism in Yugoslavia at the turn of the twentieth century. After the war, Jews remained in Osijek and the region. Two thirds of them migrated at the end of the s. A monument to Jewish fighters and victims of Nazism was erected in in a square in Osijek. The monument was created by Oscar Nemon, a former resident. At the turn of the 21st century, Jews still lived in Osijek.
A former synagogue in the Lower Town was converted into a church. A plaque at the entrance recalls its former function. Born in this town in , he was deported during the Holocaust to Auschwitz. Most of his family members were murdered. After the war he studied acting in Zagreb.
Lustig later became a director and producer, participating in these roles in about films, and was particularly active in promoting Croatian cinema. Residing for the most part in Los Angeles, in his later years he spent increasing amounts of time in Zagreb, where he was made an honorary citizen of the city for his Β« great contribution to the culture of a democratic society, to movie art and to understanding between peoples Β».
Branko Lustig, Gerald R. At the Academy Awards ceremony, Spielberg stressed the need to listen to the voices of survivors and encouraged teachers to welcome them to share their experiences with students.
