The book, published by Documenta, Centre for Dealing with the Past, and the regional office of the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, was launched on the 71st anniversary since the first groups of political prisoners were interned on charges of being Stalin's sympathisers.
That marked the beginning of a tragic story in the political history of Croatia and what was then Yugoslavia, said one of the authors of the guide and the coordinator of the Culture of Remembrance programme at Documenta, Vlade Bralic.
He said that the purpose of the book was to help build a culture of remembrance and appropriately memorialise Goli Otok, adding that this matter was neglected and should be approached critically based on research. He said that paying tribute to the victims and discussions on political repression and dictatorships were important for democratic education and development.
The head of Documenta, Vesna Terselic, called on the Ministry of Culture to support a study so that Goli Otok could be appreciated as a cultural good. She said that funds for that purpose could be sought from the government and the EU.
During the six years of its existence, about 13,000 prisoners passed through prison on Goli Otok, a small island located near the northern Adriatic island of Rab, and 287 died. From 1949 to 1956 the prison was run by the Yugoslav secret police UDBA who forced prisoners to abuse one another.