HASAN ZAHIROVI\u0106, also known as LACA, son of SALKO, was born in Mostar on December 25, 1920. He comes from a poor artisan family. Family circumstances and his father’s unemployment forced his family to move away from Mostar. From 1923 to 1933, he lived in Sarajevo, where he completed elementary school and learned the trade of a baker. His family returned to Mostar from Sarajevo. According to one source, he performed various jobs: “carrying luggage for passengers at the Railway Station, chopping wood and grinding coffee for caf\u00e9 owners, but he was most famous for digging coal, which he sold, although it was forbidden and punishable. He fought for his livelihood in various ways, and when he had no income, he took care of his comrades, who loved him greatly.” He played football for the youth section of “Vele\u017e.” Hasan increasingly found himself in the company of organized workers in Mostar and participated in all their actions against the regime and exploitation. He was in the forefront during the large demonstrations in Mostar in early September 1940. He became a member of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia (KPJ) in 1942 (upon joining, he said, “You finally remembered me!”), and he joined the Battalion in October 1941, serving as the deputy commander of a platoon.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Just before the war, he went to serve his military service in Zemun, and after the Yugoslav army’s surrender, he returned to Mostar and worked on amassing weapons and military equipment. Together with his comrades, they stored the collected material in illegal warehouses, from which the first fighters would later be armed.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He found employment as a worker in a military warehouse, secretly taking weapons and equipment for the struggle. At the same time, he worked on other tasks in the occupied city according to the party organization’s assignments: distributing and spreading leaflets in the Italian barracks, writing slogans on walls, and with his daring actions, he caused unrest and confusion among the enemy ranks. Finally, when the danger of being discovered loomed over him, Hasan, together with several of his comrades, stormed the domobran (Croatian Home Guard) barracks, the northern military camp in Mostar, on October 3, 1941, and seized 18 crates of ammunition with 1,200 rounds each, several rifles, and other military equipment, which he then transferred to the partisan fighters. The group consisted of Mehmed Trbonja Meha, the leader of the group, Mehmed Arap, \u017divko Papo Hen\u0107i, and Laca.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In November 1941, Laca joined the Konji\u010dki (Mostar) Partisan Detachment, which was located in the area of Bora\u010dko Lake. He was one of the bravest and most courageous fighters of the Detachment. After a major battle in March 1942, when the partisan units in Herzegovina ran out of ammunition in Bora\u010d, the Operational Staff for Herzegovina ordered the Mostar Battalion, along with three other comrades, to try to obtain ammunition from occupied Mostar. Hasan volunteered to carry out this task. The group took out 22 crates of ammunition from an Italian warehouse, which were then transferred to the liberated territory.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Laca went on several missions to the occupied Mostar, bringing back medical supplies, weapons, and ammunition. In the Mostar Battalion of the Tenth Herzegovinian Assault Brigade, he was one of the most skilled machine gunners. As the platoon commander, he always led the way, ahead of his fighters, attacking enemy nests and bunkers. He participated in all the actions of the assault company and distinguished himself particularly in the battles for the liberation of \u017dep\u010de and Prozor in early 1943, as well as in the battles for Konjic and Bijela, where strong Chetnik forces had numerous and powerful fortifications. In the attack on the Vinac Railway Station, Laca and his comrades opened fire on the station with machine guns and rifles, after which a white flag appeared. About twenty domobrans surrendered with their personal weapons.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
He was killed in the area of Kobilja Glava Pass near Gacko on April 8, 1943, in battles against the Italians and Chetniks, in which the main part of the Tenth Herzegovinian Assault Brigade participated, along with other units of the Third Assault Division. He was buried on the rocky ridge where he fell: “there, the Lenin’s funeral march could be heard, and a message was sent to the brigade headquarters on a piece of paper: ‘Hasan Zahirovi\u0107 Laca, platoon commander of the Mostar Battalion of the Tenth Herzegovinian Brigade, heroically killed during the battles on Kobilja Glava near Gacko on April 6, 1943. He has several heroic deeds from the brigade’s battles in Jajce, \u017dep\u010de, Prozor, Konjic, Nevesinje, Vele\u017e, etc.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n
By a decree of the Presidency of the Anti-Fascist Council of People’s Liberation of Yugoslavia (AVNOJ) on December 26, 1945, among the first fighters of the National Liberation Army, and the first one from Mostar, Hasan Zahirovi\u0107 Laca was proclaimed a national hero. In 1949, his mortal remains were buried in a park in Mostar, and in 1965, they were transferred and reburied in the Partisan Cemetery in Mostar. The bust of Hasan Zahirovi\u0107 Laca is located in Musala Square in Mostar, next to the bust of Mladen Balorda<\/a> and the memorial plaque for the hanged fighters Drago Palavestra<\/a> and Alica Rizikalo<\/a>. A street in Mostar is named after him (Lacina).<\/p>\n\n\n\n After the war, he was immortalized in the song “Mostarska mati<\/a>” by Mostarske ki\u0161e. According to the author Mensur Seforovi\u0107, “Laca’s great love” was the partisan medic \u0160taka Mi\u0107kovi\u0107<\/a>. Laca is remembered as the “natural born leader of Mostar youth”.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In socialist Yugoslavia, youth brigades carrying the name of Laca operated for years in organized voluntary labor activities used to build public and industrial infrastructure.<\/p>\n\n\n\n EXCERPTS FROM LITERATURE:<\/p>\n\n\n\n “Approaching the Chetnik positions before our attack, in the early hours of the morning, Hasan Zahirovi\u0107 Laca, a worker from Mostar, was killed. A stray bullet, fired from a long distance, struck him in the left eyebrow and lodged in his head. Laca fell silent. What a strange death of a legendary hero. We approached him. Among us was the nurse Staka Mi\u0107kovi\u0107<\/a>, Laca’s friend, and Rifat Frenjo<\/a>, both crying like children, kissing and caressing the lifeless Laca. After driving out the Chetniks from Kobilja Glava, we buried Laca in the presence of a large number of fighters, and I bid farewell to our comrade with tears and a short speech, emphasizing that his heroism will serve as an example to our fighters on the path to freedom and that we will avenge him. Laca became a legend – a hero, whom the entire Brigade was proud of. A poor man’s son, an unemployed baker from Mostar, he belonged to a group of destitute people at the Carina, who did whatever it took to survive before the war. Laca and most of them grew into wonderful communists in the National Liberation War, young men of action and exemplary heroes.”<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n “At dawn, we set out for Kobilja Glava. At the top, the Chetniks noticed us and opened fire. We accepted the fight. At that time, I was on duty as a sergeant in the 1st platoon of the 2nd company. The paramedic in the platoon was Staka Mi\u0107kovi\u0107, everyone loved her. She was a girlfriend of Hasan Zahirovi\u0107 Laca, so, wanting to be with her, he was also in our platoon. In the attack on Kobilja Glava, at dawn, Hasan Zahirovi\u0107 Laca died, and I was only 30 meters away. Courier Jozo, a native of Split, was between us<\/em><\/em> who shouted: “Ala, Laca is killed!” I ran to Laca. A grain hit him in the left eyebrow, and he remained dead on the spot. We continued the fight. We drove the Chetniks out of Kobilja glava. Later we laid Laca on the wing of the tent and carried her to a nearby tavern. We dug a grave in a garden across from the tavern. We wrapped the dead body in the wing of the tent and buried it. The platoon in formation fired a volley paying respect to a dear comrade and a great fighter. The battalion was in mourning for Laca’s death. Rifat Frenjo cried more for Laca than for his brother Asim, who died on Porim.”<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" HASAN ZAHIROVI\u0106, also known as LACA, son of SALKO, was born in Mostar on December 25, 1920. He comes from a poor artisan family. Family circumstances and his father’s unemployment forced his family to move away from Mostar. From 1923 to 1933, he lived in Sarajevo, where he completed elementary school and learned the trade […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"featured_media":28192,"parent":0,"menu_order":0,"template":"","categories":[314,315,316,306,353],"tags":[354,317,291,330],"prezime":[459],"class_list":["post-13590","partizan","type-partizan","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-18-25-g-en","category-poginuli-1943-en","category-poginuli-u-bih-en","category-velez-en","category-narodni-heroji-en","tag-opjevani-u-mostarskoj-mati-en","tag-bataljon-en","tag-foto","tag-foto-en","prezime-z-en","has-post-title","has-post-date","has-post-category","has-post-tag","has-post-comment","has-post-author",""],"ptb_metabox":{"ptb_partizan_izvori":" \u0106emalovi\u0107, Enver (1986): Mostarski bataljon<\/a>, Mostar ; Hamzi\u0107, Refik (1986): Mostarci narodni heroji Jugoslavije, Mostar; Seferovi\u0107, Mensur (1981): \u201eIsto\u010dno i zapadno od Neretve<\/a>\u201c, \u201eNarodna armija\u201c, Beograd 533; Spomenica Mostara 1941-1945;\u00a0Alikalfi\u0107, Fazlija, Seferovi\u0107, Nusret\u00a0 (1989): \"Zbornik sje\u0107anja o Mostarskom bataljonu\", Skup\u0161tina op\u0161tine, Odbor za istoriju revolucionarnog radni\u010dkog pokreta i NOB-a Mostara;\u00a0Ibrulj, Sa\u0161a (2022): Vele\u017e, pri\u010da o 100 godina mostarskih ro\u0111enih, Dobra knjiga, Sarajevo; http:\/\/aesthetischepraxis.de\/Texte_English\/Treasures_of_Socialism.pdf<\/a>\u00a0<\/p>\r\n Fotografije<\/em>:\u00a0 https:\/\/www.tracesofwar.com\/sights\/52291\/Monument-Freedom-Fighters.htm<\/a>; Ponovno oskrnavljeno Partizansko spomen groblje u Mostaru (nap.ba); <\/a>Narodni heroji Jugoslavije N-\u017d, Institut za savremenu istoriju, Partizanska knjiga, Ljubljana, Narodna knjiga, Beograd, Pobjeda, Titograd, 1982<\/a>.; spomenicinob.info<\/p>\r\n Photo of the memorial plaque<\/em>: S. Demirovi\u0107.<\/p>","ptb_partizan_datum_rodzenja":"(1919. Mostar \u2013 1943. Kobilja Glava)","ptb_partizan_godina":"24","ptb_partizan_galerija_1":{"url":["http:\/\/partizansko.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/P-Zahirovic-1.jpg","http:\/\/partizansko.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Hasan-Zahirovic-Laca.jpg","http:\/\/partizansko.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/NH-Hasan-Zahirovic-Laca.jpg","http:\/\/partizansko.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Hasan-Zahirovic-Laca-Becir-Trbonja-i-Hilmija-Hakalo.jpg","http:\/\/partizansko.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/03.jpg","http:\/\/partizansko.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/09\/Hasan-Zahirovic-Laca.jpg","http:\/\/partizansko.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/biste-Zahirovic-Balorda-16-2-1985-2025-10-17-191419-1.jpg","http:\/\/partizansko.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Hasan-Zahirovic-Laca-bista.jpg","http:\/\/partizansko.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Hasan-Zahirovic-Laca-bista-2.jpg","http:\/\/partizansko.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Spomenik-Zahirovic-Laca-2.jpg","http:\/\/partizansko.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Zahirovic-IMG_20220405_105533-scaled.jpg","http:\/\/partizansko.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/izvidjaci-grobovi-narodnih-heroja-Sloboda-18-2-1960.jpg","http:\/\/partizansko.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/20-jul-1965-part-600-boraca.jpg","http:\/\/partizansko.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Mural-Zahirovic-Balorda.jpg","http:\/\/partizansko.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/HEROJI-Zahirovic.jpg","http:\/\/partizansko.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Ulica-Hasan-Zahirovic-Laca.jpg","http:\/\/partizansko.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Lacina-ulica-Mostar-1944.jpg","http:\/\/partizansko.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Lacina.jpg","http:\/\/partizansko.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/brigada-Laca-ORA-u-Sarajevu-1981-za-olimpijadu.jpg","http:\/\/partizansko.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/ORA-Laca.jpg","http:\/\/partizansko.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/laca-razarac.jpg","http:\/\/partizansko.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/raketna-topovnjaca-Hasan-Zahirovic-Laca.jpg","http:\/\/partizansko.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/hasan-zahirovic-laca-1.jpg"],"link":["","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","",""],"title":["","Hasan Zahirovi\u0107 Laca","national hero Hasan Zahirovi\u0107 Laca, Historical museum in Sarajevo, box 5115","Three fallen fighters from Mostar, Hasan Zahirovi\u0107 Laca, Be\u0107ir Trbonja and Hilmija Hakalo. Historical museum in Sarajevo, box 5118","According to the Frenjo family, on this picture: Asim Frenjo (left), unknown person, Hasan Zahirovi\u0107 Laca (right). source: The Frenjo family archives, facebook","Nada Novakovi\u0107, Hasan Zahirovi\u0107 Laca, 1948 oil on canvas, 53 x 64 cm; Inv. No 436","Unveiling of the busts of Zahirovi\u0107 and Balorda on Feb 16,1985","the bust of Hasan Zahirovi\u0107 Laca near the Musala Square in Mostar","the bust of Hasan Zahirovi\u0107 Laca near the Musala Square in Mostar","","a picture of the grave of Hasan Zahirovi\u0107 Laca from a park in Mostar. Laca's grave was there from 1949-1965, when his remains were transferred to the Partisan Memorial Cemetery. Source: spomenicinob.info","boy and girl scouts visitning the graves of national heroes, \"Sloboda\", 18. 2. 1960.","article from Jul 20 1965 showing the original graves of Adem Bu\u0107 and Hasan Zahirovi\u0107 Laca, before they were transferred to the Partisan Cemetery","a mural in Mostar, where Laca and Lobra are still considered legends","Hasan Zahirovi\u0107 Laca, \"Narodni heroji Jugoslavije\", pg. 364","Hasan Zahirovi\u0107 Laca Street","Lacina street in Mostar 1944","Lacina street in Mostar (google maps)","youth work brigade \"Laca\", working in Sarajevo 1981. godine, during a visit to Sutjeska. Some participants are wearing t-shirts with Laca's portrait.","youth work brigade \"Laca\", 1978.","One naval destroyer of the Yugoslav navy was named after Hasan Zahirovi\u0107","naval destroyer \"Hasan Zahirovi\u0107 Laca\". Source: Facebook.","Hasan Zahirovi\u0107 Laca"],"description":["","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","","",""]},"ptb_partizan_poruka_":"Do you have more information about this fighter? Share<\/a> your stories and photographs. Let's keep the memory alive!","ptb_partizan_ploca":{"1":"http:\/\/partizansko.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Zahirovic-Hasan-IMG_2734-rotated.jpg","2":"http:\/\/partizansko.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/06\/Zahirovic-Hasan-IMG_2734-rotated.jpg"},"ptb_partizan_spisak_info":["partizan_spisak_info_1","partizan_spisak_info_2","partizan_spisak_info_3"]},"ptb_taxonomy":{"category":[{"term_id":314,"name":"18-25 y\/o","slug":"18-25-g-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":314,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":415,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":315,"name":"died in 1943","slug":"poginuli-1943-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":315,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":183,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":316,"name":"died in BiH","slug":"poginuli-u-bih-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":316,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":518,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":306,"name":"FC \u201cVele\u017e\u201d","slug":"velez-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":306,"taxonomy":"category","description":"[gallery link=\"file\" size=\"medium\" columns=\"5\" ids=\"4320,4325,4328,4327,3733\"]\n\nNumerous players and supporters of FC \"Vele\u017e\" actively engaged in the fight against fascism from day one. Seventy-seven of them perished in the war, and among them, eight of nine football players - national heroes.","parent":0,"count":67,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":353,"name":"National Heroes","slug":"narodni-heroji-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":353,"taxonomy":"category","description":"","parent":0,"count":13,"filter":"raw"}],"post_tag":[{"term_id":354,"name":"Fallen fighters featured in the song \"Mostarska Mati.\"","slug":"opjevani-u-mostarskoj-mati-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":354,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"Two national heroes and two heroines of the anti-fascist struggle from Mostar are celebrated in the well-known song \"Mostarska Mati\" by Mostarske Ki\u0161e. The song is dedicated to Adila Feji\u0107, a mother who lost five children in the National Liberation War (NOB). You can view the lyrics and video of the song here<\/a> (Bosnian only).","parent":0,"count":4,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":317,"name":"Fallen fighters of the Mostar Battalion.","slug":"bataljon-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":317,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"[gallery link=\"file\" size=\"medium\" ids=\"7114,7116,7122\"]\r\n\r\nMostar Battalion was formed as the \"Konji\u010dki\" in September 1941. Until the formation of the 13th Herzegovina Brigade in May 1944, 827 fighters passed through the Battalion, and 445 of them perished, including 211 from Mostar. Of the 86 women, 43 were killed. Mostar residents also fought in many other units of the NOVJ (People's Liberation Army of Yugoslavia) and among the ranks of the activists of the National Liberation War in Mostar and other cities in Bosnia and Herzegovina... According to the records of the organization SUBNOR Mostar, every third citizen was an activist of the National Liberation War, 670 fighters were killed, 1517 were victims of fascist terror, and 206 were civilian war victims. D\u017eemil \u0160arac, article \"Sa Mostarcima\" (\"With the People from Mostar\"), Hercegovina No. 9, p. 221.\r\n\r\n\"And we were all young. Those of us who were 17, 18 years old, some seemed old even though they were not older than 25. The ones over 30 were rare. There were girls and boys with different characteristics and temperaments, robust and calm, talkative and silent, recklessly brave and rational, ordinary and above-average, semi-literate and university-educated, workers and highly skilled craftsmen, high school students and university students, skilled singers and those who couldn't carry a tune, jokers and serious-minded individuals. From all our nations and religions: Muslims, Croats, Serbs, Jews, Orthodox Christians, Catholics, Muslims, Jews, atheists, and semi-atheists. Some were from straight from Mostar and others from the surrounding locations, from Konjic and outside Konjic.\" (Hercegovina Magazine No. 7, p. 238)\r\n\r\nGroups of new fighters arrived from Mostar every 10-15 days, and the Unit quickly grew into a solid military force. The guides for the groups from Mostar were Mehmed Arap, Vasa Maslo, Serif Buri\u0107, Husa Orman, Vojo Ivani\u0161evi\u0107, and Pero Krajina, who were among the bravest and most resourceful fighters. The groups regularly brought not only weapons but also medical supplies, sugar for the hospital, writing materials, large quantities of paper, books taken from the National Library (which formed the library at Borci), and other supplies for the needs of the Unit. (Source: https:\/\/www.cidom.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2017\/11\/Hercegovina-u-NOB-1.pdf<\/u><\/a>)\r\n\r\nAfter the war, a street in Mostar was named after the Mostar Battalion.","parent":0,"count":240,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":291,"name":"foto","slug":"foto","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":291,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":316,"filter":"raw"},{"term_id":330,"name":"foto","slug":"foto-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":330,"taxonomy":"post_tag","description":"","parent":0,"count":288,"filter":"raw"}],"prezime":[{"term_id":459,"name":"Z","slug":"z-en","term_group":0,"term_taxonomy_id":459,"taxonomy":"prezime","description":"","parent":0,"count":18,"filter":"raw"}]},"ptb_featured_image":{"url":"http:\/\/partizansko.info\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/05\/Hasan-Zahirovic-Laca-2.jpg","title":"Hasan Zahirovi\u0107 Laca","caption":""},"builder_content":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/partizansko.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/partizan\/13590","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/partizansko.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/partizan"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/partizansko.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/partizan"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/partizansko.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/partizan\/13590\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":33285,"href":"https:\/\/partizansko.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/partizan\/13590\/revisions\/33285"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/partizansko.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/28192"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/partizansko.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13590"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/partizansko.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13590"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/partizansko.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13590"},{"taxonomy":"prezime","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/partizansko.info\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/prezime?post=13590"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}