Two graffiti works appear on residential building walls along Brune Bušića Street in the Središće neighbourhood of Novi Zagreb-istok, Zagreb, Croatia. The first is a black and white stencil portrait of Bruno Bušić (1939–1978) accompanied by a quotation from his writings, with the figure wearing a hat featuring a white-first Croatian checkerboard (šahovnica). The text "Središće NZG" accompanies the image, linking the artwork to local identity and football fan culture, with "NZG" denoting Novi Zagreb. The second work is a large hand-painted Croatian flag with a white-first checkerboard without the official crown, located on a nearby building facade. The graffiti has been present in the neighbourhood for approximately fifteen years.
Bruno Bušić Biography
Bruno Bušić was a Croatian dissident journalist assassinated by Yugoslav secret police in 1978 whose legacy presents a complex case of posthumous appropriation. A non-violent nationalist intellectual, his name was later adopted by violent groups including the cell responsible for the 1981 Percha bombing. His own documented writings show critical engagement with both Ustasha and Communist movements, advocating national reconciliation.
Significance for the Croatian Right
Bušić's approach influenced President Franjo Tuđman's later reconciliation policies, which themselves generated controversy for perceived ambiguity toward WWII-era history. His assassination by UDBA in October 1978 transformed him into a martyr figure for Croatian nationalism. Today he is officially commemorated by the Croatian state, with his remains reburied at Mirogoj Cemetery in 1999.
Connections to émigré political violence
During his lifetime, Bušić authored the "Declaration of the Croatian Liberation Forces" used in the September 10, 1976 TWA Flight 355 hijacking led by Zvonko Bušić.
After his death, violent groups adopted his name. The "Croatian Revolutionary Cell – Bruno Bušić Department" carried out the August 19, 1981 bombing of the R.S. Schultz publishing house in Percha, Germany, threatening further attacks if Tito's memoirs were published. This Ustasha-linked cell formed three years after Bušić's death and had no connection to him. The "Ante Bruno Bušić Brigade" of the HVO in the 1990s also bore his name posthumously.
The White-First Checkerboard
The Croatian checkerboard exists in two variants: red-first (official since December 21, 1990) and white-first. Both variants were used historically without standardization until the 19th century.
The white-first variant is associated with the NDH (1941–1945), though historian Dr. Mario Jareb notes that NDH symbols specifically included the Ustasha "U" tendril—meaning a white-first checkerboard without that tendril is not technically an NDH symbol.
Today, displaying white-first carries contested meaning. Defenders call it a legitimate historical Croatian symbol. Critics view it as signaling that the NDH is considered a legitimate project.
Legal status: permitted in Croatia, banned in Austria since March 2019 (fines up to €10,000).
The "NZG" designation suggests affiliation with Bad Blue Boys supporters from Novi Zagreb, but no specific individuals or groups have been publicly identified as responsible for these works.
Unknown. The graffiti is unsigned and no author has been publicly identified.