Nikola M. ABRAMOVIĆ

NIKOLA ABRAMOVIĆ BJELICA, son of MIRKO, born in Dabar near Stolac. He lost his father at an early age, so he lived in Mostar with his mother Stana, to whom he was very devoted, after finishing elementary school. Worked in Mostar as a sales assistant. Member of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia (KPJ) since 1926, pre-war union official and official of the FC “Velež”. Prominent activist in the “Abrašević” Workers’ Cultural and Artistic Society in Mostar, head of the drama section and the Esperanto course. Arrested and convicted several times, such as in 1929 in the group of Gojko Vuković, or another time in 1932 in the group of Anđelko Goati. He was imprisoned in Sremska Mitrovica, where he met a large number of revolutionaries. Arrested again in early September 1940 due to a protest general strike in Mostar involving over 2,000 workers, all companies and craft workshops, as well as the Coal Mine, caused by the ban on the activities of “Velež” as a center of progressive ideas. Arrested and taken to the Lepoglava prison. In the same group, the following were arrested: Imšir Gigić, Mustafa Bjelavac, Nikola Abramović Bjelica, Rade Bitanga, Mustafa Alajbegović, Smajo Brkić, Hasan Kreso, Slavko Balać, Luka Knežić. In the second group, the following were arrested: Mustafa Humo, Velija Hujdur, Vasilije Tošić, Mile Ćećez, Ljubo Ajvaz, Rade Majstorović, and Rudolf Hrozniček. According to one source, “he was subjected to police torture and harassment in the infamous casemates of Lepoglava, from where he told his mother in letters that he should not beg the authorities to get out of that infamous dungeon, because he would get out together with his comrades.” When the Ustaše came to power in Croatia in April 1941, he was liquidated, possibly in concentration camp Stara Gradiška/Jasenovac or Gospić.

He was described as a “staunch proletarian”.

EXCERPTS FROM LITERATURE:

“Like other members of the Party at that time, he builds himself up, reads Marxist literature, attends various courses, learns foreign languages, attends an Esperanto course, actively works in the “Abrašević” society. He possessed a rich Marxist literature, so he grew into an ideologically educated and trained fighter, communist worker whose knowledge becomes valuable in the fight for progressive ideas of the labor movement.”

“Nikola often came to his native Dabar, especially during the holidays, to pay attention to his brother Aleksa. Every time he came, Nikola used to gather neighbors and acquaintances and give them information about the fight for workers’ rights. His word was listened to and was appreciated, because Nikola was direct, communicative, ideologically-politically educated, so he won people over quickly.”