Jurlin’s Sun Gallery

Jurlin’s Sun Gallery

The painter Zvonimir Vila painted 12 life-size portraits depicting the tragedy of the Jurlin family in the WW2 and the postwar period.


Jure Perkov Jurlija (1867 – 1942), the founder of the Estate of Jurlinovi dvori, died by the hand of Italian fascists on November 16th 1942 not far from his court. He was shot at the age of 66, together with 16 other locals. The same day they burned his, Jurlin’s, court.
Križan Perkov (1915 – 1944) the second son of Jurlin, the uncle of father Stipe, got killed by a Nazi grenade near Knin while defending that town on Christmas Eve 1944. Uncle Martin was pushed to the first lines of defense by the partisan officers. He left behind his widow Manda and three children – Svetinka (Kovač – Slunjski) (1938 - ), Antica (Golac) (1940 - ) and son Ante (1943 – 1985)
Stipe Perkov (1905 – 1946), the eldest son of Jurlin, went missing in Zagreb in 1946. He was picked up by the infamous communist militia called OZNA. It was never discovered where they took him and killed him. He left behind his widow Bepa (Huljev) and two sons – Ante (1932 – 2006) and Jurica (1935 – 2007)
Jure Juriša Perkov (1926 – 2012), the youngest son of Jurlin, came home from the war at the end of 1942. He encountered a burned court, 4 widows, 7 orphans and an abandoned field. Although he was only 19 years old, he was supposed to become the head of a once famous, and now, destroyed family and try to raise it from the ashes of war.
Sister Filipa (1912 – 1947) and Stana Perkov ( Gracin), Jurlin’s daughters, died from sorrow when they heard what happened to their father Jurlija, their brothers and their beloved court in Draga.