Viktor Gutić

Viktor Gutić (1901-1946) was a Croatian Ustaše politician who served as the Independent State of Croatia's Commissioner for Banja Luka and its surrounding area from 1941 to 1945.

Gutić was a lawyer by profession and a fervent supporter of the Ustaše movement before World War II. Following the establishment of the Independent State of Croatia (NDH) in April 1941, he was appointed the commissioner for Banja Luka, a region with a mixed population of Croats, Serbs, and Bosniaks.

His administration in Banja Luka was marked by extreme violence and persecution against the Serb and Jewish populations. He was directly implicated in the implementation of the NDH's genocidal policies, including massacres, forced conversions, and deportations to concentration camps. Gutić publicly advocated for the extermination of Serbs and Jews and played a central role in the confiscation of their property.

After the collapse of the NDH in May 1945, Gutić attempted to flee but was captured by Yugoslav Partisans. He was tried for war crimes and crimes against humanity and was found guilty. He was executed in Banja Luka in 1946. Gutić remains a controversial figure, remembered for his brutality and his role in the atrocities committed during the NDH regime.