Sava Šumanović and Serbian civilians killed in 1942 Srem massacres

Historical accounts detail the mass killings of Serbian civilians in the Srem region during August 1942 by Ustaše forces. Among the victims was Sava Šumanović, one of the most prominent Serbian painters of the 20th century.

On August 28, 1942, Šumanović was arrested in Šid along with approximately 150 other Serbs. The captives were reportedly beaten before being transported to Sremska Mitrovica, where a mobile court sentenced them to death. They were executed and buried in mass graves, often involving the use of quicklime.

Other accounts from the same period describe a column of 200 people, including professionals such as teachers and lawyers, being taken from Velika Gospojina to Sremska Mitrovica. These victims, including local hop producer Sima Raketić, were also executed without trial. During the wartime occupation, the Srem region was incorporated into the Independent State of Croatia, during which time over 20,000 Serbian civilians were systematically killed.