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Darko Fischer (* 1938)

• Darko Fischer was born in Osijek on January 2, 1938

• In 1941, his father escapes to Hungarzy, he and his mother to Bosnia and Herzegovina

• In 1943, reaches his father in Hungary

• In January 1945, Darko’s father was killed in Budapest

• In May 1945, Darko’s family goes back to Osijek

EARLY LIFE IN OSIJEK

Darko Fischer was born in Osijek, on January 2, 1938. Darko’s father was a lawyer, while his mother stayed at home with Darko and his older sister. They were both educated and had a successful life. They had a house and lived comfortably. Everything changed in 1941, when the NDH was established and racial laws against Jews were passed, and the family faced a great danger.  Darko’s father flew to Hungary, while his mother and the children reached Bosnia.

ODŽAK PERIOD

Darko, together with his mother and sister, flew to Odžak, in Bosnia and Herzegovina. His uncle, on the father‘s side, whose name was Otto Fischer, was a doctor, and was helped to reach Bosnia, together with other Jewish doctors, by the Zagreb doctor Ante Uletić.

REACHING BUDAPEST

Thanks to the help of the lawyer Kamilo Firinger, Darko‘s family was able to reach Hungary. Mr. Firinger took his mother and the two children across the Drava Bridge to the other bank of the Drava to Hungary. They crossed into Baranja and then took some night train to Pécs, where the family had some relatives. They spent there a few days. After that, they reached Budapest and were reunited with their father.

LIFE IN BUDAPEST, THE DEATH OF DARKO‘S FATHER

In the autumn of 1944, the Germans occupied Hungary. The Russian and Allied troops began bombing Budapest. Darko and his family survived the shellings by finding refuge in different shelters, and Red Cross houses.

On january 8th 1945, Darko‘s father was caught by local collaborators, he was taken to the streets and shot. His mother learned that it had been probably the work of paramilitary groups, which looted the houses and robbed people, shooting them and throwing their dead bodies into the Danube. Darko‘s father was killed ten days before the Russians entered Pest, the eastern part of Budapest.

LIBERATION OF BUDAPEST, RETURN TO OSIJEK

The Russians entered the eastern part of Pest on January 18, 1945. Darko and his family could not return to Osijek immediately, because the city had not yet been liberated. The family reached the improvised refugee camp of Kikinda, and waited there tobe able to go back home. On April 15, 1945, because Osijek was liberated on April 14, 1945, they were given permission to travel further, and finally to reach their home.

LIFE AFTER THE WAR

Darko finished elementary and high school in Osijek. He moved to Zagreb to study electronic engineering at the University. Today, he is very active in the Croatian Jewish community. He promotes initiatives for peace and multi-ethnic dialogue. He concentrates on the fight against anti-Semitic behaviours  after the Second World War and the recognition of Jewish people killed during the war.

A MESSAGE TO YOUNG PEOPLE

Darko says „ I always say we are all made very different, I am a little cynical, as an atheist I say the almighty god in his infinite goodness has made us very different. And because it made us very different, that‘s why there are always some skirmishes between us, maybe on a very low petty level and then a little bigger, then huge wars with great cruelty, so I think yes, and let‘s tell people, if you ever have the chance that you can resolve some conflict by peaceful means and not by rudeness and wars, choose that peaceful way”.