Lepoglava prison served as one of the main political prisons for opponents and seditionists of various ruling regimes throughout its history.
History
Lepoglava prison was formed in 1854 in a monastery formerly owned by the Pauline Fathers, which was transformed by the authorities into a penitentiary (this order would wait until 2001 for a part of its property there to be returned to the bishopric). Prior to becoming one of the major Croatian penitentiaries, the prison saw widespread use in Austria-Hungary, the Kingdom of Yugoslavia, the Independent State of Croatia and Communist Yugoslavia.
In 1878, Lepoglava warden Emil Taufer introduced the Irish rehabilitation system and opened a number of workshops for penal labor. Literacy classes were provided for younger offenders. Over time, the system largely turned into a direct exploitation of inmates' nearly free labor. This was particularly pronounced during World War I, when working up to 15 hours a day in an unsafe working environment and poor overall conditions contributed to high mortality among the prisoners.[2]
During the twentieth century, the prison was a home for numerous "unwanted" groups and political prisoners.[clarification needed] This occurred during the Kingdom of Yugoslavia (1918–1941), when Communists and revolutionaries were incarcerated, along with such notables as Josip Broz Tito, Moša Pijade, Rodoljub Čolaković, and Milovan Đilas.[3][4]
The Independent State of Croatia (1941–45) held dissidents at the prison, including Ante Vokić who attempted a coup in 1944. The prison was used to incarcerate and liquidate over 2,000 anti-fascists.[clarification needed] On 12–13 July 1943, the partisans attacked and temporarily captured the facility, freeing around 800 inmates.[5]
