MONUMENT TO CROATIAN HOME GUARDSMAN UNVEILED IN OSIJEK

OSIJEK, Nov 30 (Hina) - A monument to Croatian Home Guardsman was unveiled in the King Drzislav Square in Osijek on Saturday. Vladimir Seks, the envoy of Croatian President Franjo Tudjman, and Branimir Glavas, the Osijek-Baranja County Prefect unveiled the Monument of a sculptor, Robert Franges Mihanovic. Prefect Glavas said that the Croatian Home Guardsman symbolizes Croatian soldiers who, being in different uniforms, had fought for the Croatian state. Glavas added he was pleased that the county had presented the city of Osijek with the Monument ahead the city's day (December 2). He recalled that the Monument to the Croatian Home Guardsman, which had been erected in 1898 in Osijek, had to meet with adversities. In 1991 the monument was transferred to Zagreb and in that way protected against Serb attacks. "The Monument to the Croatian Home Guardsman symbolizes also the resistance of a Croatian soldier during the Homeland War," Seks said and conveyed to the gathered people President Tudjman's wishes for the progress of the city and county of Osijek. After the ceremonial unveiling, public celebration, including fireworks display, took place in the square. The Monument was erected in memory of the 78th home guardsmen regiment of Ban Josip Sokcevic. After the building of the Monument in 1898 in the Regimental Square, there was an attempt to pull it down in 1992. In 1945 the then authorities removed the Monument. Until 1963 the Monument was held in Zagreb. Then it was returned to Osijek, and it was not displayed in a public place but in a gallery. In 1991 the Monument was shown at the exhibition "1000 Years of Croatian Sculpture." Saturday's ceremony in Osijek was attended by the U.N. Transitional Administrator in the Croatian Danubian area Jacques Klein, the head of the Croatian Government's office for temporary administration Ivica Vrkic, and Roman Catholic Bishop of Djakovo- Sirmium, Msgr. Ciril Kos. (hina) mš 302202 MET nov 96