The Yugoslav Planting Campaign in Martyrs’ Forest 1952–1955: Symbolism, Rituals and Meaning

Abstract

This article will try to examine the phenomenon of memorial forests and its role in the creation of Holocaust mem- ory of the Jewish community in Yugoslavia. Our intention is to present the Yugoslav Jewish tradition of planting memorial for- ests and analyze its symbolical background. The Martyrs’ For- est in Israel will be used as an example of newly-founded place of remembrance, and considering that, the main aim of the arti- cle is to show, in comparison with other examples, what kind of symbolical rituals were used to provide a historical context and legitimacy for new memorials.