Lepa Radić was just 17 years old when she stood at the gallows, defiant and fearless in the face of death. A member of the Yugoslav Partisan resistance during World War II, she became a powerful symbol of youthful courage, sacrifice, and unwavering loyalty to freedom. Her public execution by the Nazis in 1943 sent shockwaves through occupied Yugoslavia—and her last words became legendary.
A Young Girl in a World at War
Born on December 19, 1925, in the village of Gašnica near Bosanska Gradiška (in what is now Bosnia and Herzegovina), Lepa Radić grew up in a politically aware Serbian family. As Nazi Germany invaded Yugoslavia in 1941, Lepa joined the Yugoslav Partisans, the communist-led resistance movement fighting against Axis occupation.
By the age of 15, she was already involved in transporting weapons and supplies, distributing anti-fascist literature, and assisting wounded fighters. Her bravery and dedication quickly caught the attention of both her comrades—and her enemies.
Capture and Torture
In early 1943, during the Battle of Neretva, Lepa was captured by German forces while helping evacuate the wounded. She was arrested near Bosanska Krupa and subjected to brutal interrogation and torture in an attempt to extract names of fellow Partisans.
Despite the pain and threats, Lepa Radić refused to betray her comrades. She knew what was at stake, but stood firm. Her silence and resistance deeply angered the Nazis, who decided to make an example of her in the most public and humiliating way possible.
The Gallows and Her Final Words
On February 8, 1943, in the town square of Bosanska Krupa, Lepa Radić was led to a wooden gallows in front of a crowd. Her hands were tied behind her back, and a noose was placed around her neck. The Germans gave her one last chance to save herself—if she would name her fellow fighters, they would spare her life.
Her answer was unforgettable.
“I am not a traitor to my people. Those you are asking about will reveal themselves when they have succeeded in wiping out all you evildoers.”
Then, without fear or tears, she was hanged—a teenager dying for her country while denying her killers the information they so desperately wanted. Her defiance in the final moment turned her into an instant martyr and legend.