Rab (ItalianArbe) is an island and a town of the same name located just off the northern Croatian coast in the Adriatic Sea, in the Primorje_Gorski Kotar county.
The island is 22 km long, has an area of 93.6 kmē and 9,480 inhabitants (2001). The highest peak is Kamenjak at 408 meters. The northeastern side of the island is mostly barren, karst, while the southwestern side is covered in green pine forests.
The main town on the island is also named Rab. It has 554 residents (2001) and is located on a small peninsula on the southwestern side of the island. Ferries connect the town of Rab with the mainland port of Jablanac.
Rab concentration camp
In July1942 Italians established a concentration camp near the island's village Kampor and disbanded it after the capitulation in September1943. Its capacity was to hold about 10.000 prisoners at a time, mostly Slovenians, Croats and Jews in the separate department. About 1200 prisoneres died from starvation and inhospitable winter and summer weather conditions. Another 800 prisoners from Rab died later when they were relocated to other Italian concentration camps, e.g. Gonars, Padova. Those prisoners who survived in September 1943 and were still strong enough formed the Rab batallion which resisted German occupation. In 1953 a memorial was built on Edvard Ravnikar's plans, ironically, by prisoners of communist camp from the nearby island Goli Otok.
Due to Italian propaganda and its role in the last years of the World War II not much is known about this camp outside borders of the former Yugoslavia. Even in 2003 the centre-right Italian prime ministerSilvio Berlusconi could afford a statement without any consequences that during Fascism time there were no concentration camps, but "just compulsory vacation" for the opposers of the regime.
External links
An article from the International Herald Tribune (http://www.istrianet.org/istria/news/europe/int-herald-tribune/03-1029rab.htm)
Concentration camp memorial complex (http://www.oris.hr/oris-br-27/tekst-02.htm)
Arbe’ was born in Yerevan, Armenia (USSR) in 1958, the son of a famous Armenian artist (Professor Lyudvik Berberyan).
By the time Arbe’ was seven years old, his artistic abilities, paintings and compositions were already beginning to emerge.
In 1981, Arbe’ graduated from the Institute with a Masters in Art and Design, the Institute’s highest art degree, and has become a member of the Young Artists Union in the USSR, one of the Country’s most influential art organizations.
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