Diana Budisavljević honored for rescuing thousands of children during WWII

Diana Budisavljević, an Austrian-born humanitarian, is remembered for her massive rescue operation during World War II. Working alongside doctors, church representatives, and the Red Cross, she helped evacuate children from camps within the Independent State of Croatia, including Jasenovac and Stara Gradiška.

Reports indicate that over 15,536 children were rescued through these efforts, with more than 12,000 surviving. Budisavljević organized food, medical care, and housing, while also attempting to reunite children with their families after the war. Despite the scale of her work, her contributions were not widely recognized for many years.

A monument dedicated to her, featuring a bronze bust and plaques in Cyrillic, Latin, English, and German, was recently consecrated at the Jasenovac monastery. The monument was donated by the Serbian Orthodox Youth of Innsbruck (SPOJI) to honor her legacy of courage and humanity.