Lovas commemorates 35th anniversary of the ‘Bloody Grape Harvest’

Thirty-five years ago, members of the former Yugoslav People’s Army (JNA) and Serbian paramilitary units forced 51 Croats into a minefield. 

Twenty-one locals were killed and 14 wounded in the crime, while a total of 89 residents of Lovas lost their lives during the Homeland War. Their sacrifice has not been forgotten.

The 35th anniversary of the wartime suffering in Lovas was marked with the laying of wreaths, lighting of candles and prayers for the victims.

Particularly poignant were the testimonies of those who survived the horrors of war.

“At the age of 16, I stayed in the village with my late mother. I went through hell, although I was spared having to enter the minefield and collect the dead. Every day, you went to work wearing a white armband so people would know you were a Croat,” recalls Krunoslav Šmaholc, a resident of the Lovas municipality.

The ‘Bloody Grape Harvest’ — a crime Lovas will never forget

One of the most serious crimes committed in Lovas took place on October 18, 1991, when members of the former JNA and Serbian paramilitary units forced 51 Croats from the village into a minefield at gunpoint.

The crime became known as the “Bloody Grape Harvest.” Twenty-one people were killed and 14 wounded.

In total, 89 residents of Lovas lost their lives during the war.

“We do not spread hatred. We want children to know the truth.”

For the victims’ families and survivors, each anniversary brings back painful memories.

“Every year is emotional. The memories are painful and exhausting, but we live with them. We tell children not to forget and to understand what happened. We are not spreading hatred; we simply want them to know what our country was founded on,” says Franjo Došen, president of the Lovas branch of the Association of Croatian Homeland War Veterans (UDVDR).

Lovas Mayor Lea Vidić stressed that the horrific crime must never be forgotten, even 35 years later.

“Lovas is near Vukovar, and so many people gave their lives here. We will not allow this terrible crime to be forgotten, even after 35 years,” Vidić said.

Candles and prayers for the innocent victims

Numerous delegations, municipal representatives, and relatives of the victims gathered to lay wreaths and light candles in their memory.

A Mass for all the deceased, murdered and missing residents of the Lovas municipality was held at the Parish Church of St. Michael the Archangel.

Thirty-five years on, Lovas continues to honor its victims, determined to ensure that the truth about their suffering is passed on to future generations.