What is in a “trophy” photograph? The evidentiary and symbolic function of perpetrator-generated images of Ustaša atrocities

Abstract

This chapter examines the evidentiary, symbolic, and mnemonic functions of a specific sub‑genre of perpetrator‑generated atrocity imagery: the so‑called “trophy” photograph. Focusing on one of the most iconic and widely reproduced images of Ustaša violence—a staged scene in which soldiers simulate the sawing of a kneeling victim—the chapter explores how such photographs have shaped public understandings of the genocide perpetrated in the Independent State of Croatia during the Second World War. While the Ustaša cultivated a distinctive culture of performative brutality, the chapter argues that the enduring power of “trophy” photographs lies less in what they document than in how they have been repeatedly mobilised, interpreted, and mythologised. Through close visual analysis and reconstruction of the photograph’s post‑war circulation, the chapter shows how this image became a “vessel of memory”: a symbolic condensation of Ustaša sadism, a touchstone for narratives of Serbian victimhood, and a visual anchor for atrocity stories whose historical accuracy is often uncertain. The chapter also considers the methodological challenges posed by perpetrator photography—its ambiguous provenance, staged composition, and polysemic nature—and reflects on what such images can and cannot tell us about Ustaša violence. Ultimately, the chapter highlights the complex interplay between photographic evidence, cultural memory, and the politics of representing extreme violence