The "Operations Zone Adriatic Coast" ("Operations Zone Adriatisches Küstenland" or "OZAK") existed from September 10, 1943 until the capitulation of the Kingdom of Italy and consisted of the Croatian and Slovenian territories occupied by it, as well as areas in northern Italy, which fell under the control of the German Third Reich from October 8, 1943 and which had the meaning of an operational zone of the German Wehrmacht, i.e. exclusively military.

On August 30, 1943, Generalfeldmarschall Keitel gave the order to take over the port cities on the Adriatic.

After the capitulation of Italy on September 8, 1943, the Rasa County was established from the Croatian territories of Istria, the Kvarner Islands, the city of Rijeka, which was donated to the Kingdom of Italy by the Serbian Minister Pasić of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia under the Treaty of Rapallo in 1920, the city of Trieste and the present-day Slovenian coast.

The Independent State of Croatia could only formally establish the Great County of Rasa, since after the capitulation of Italy, the German Third Reich had already taken control of the entire Istrian peninsula, the cities of Rijeka, Sušak, Bakar, Kastav, Čabra and the island of Krk on 1 October 1943. These Croatian territories were included in the "Operational Zone of the Adriatic Coast" ("OZAK") together with the Italian provinces of Friuli, Trieste and Gorizia and, until the capitulation of Italy, the Italian-occupied Slovenian province of Ljubljana.

The legal basis for the establishment of the Great County of Rasa was the reorganization of the Great Counties on 5 July 1944, but without naming the capital of the Great County of Rasa.

The Supreme Commissioner of the "Operational Zone of the Adriatic Coast" became the Governor of Carinthia, Friedrich Rainer, on 1 October 1944, who ordered the "Operational Zone of the Adriatic Coast" to be de-Italianized. Place names, streets and institutions were Germanized, Italian schools and banks were closed.

On October 30, 1943, the "Upravno Povjereničtvo Sušak-Krk (Sušak-Krk Administrative Commission)" was formed from the area around the town of Sušak and the island of Krk.

The Commission was subordinate to the Croatian deputy of the province of Fiume (Rijeka). It was a kind of buffer zone between the "Operational Zone of the Adriatic Coast" and the Independent State of Croatia.

German military units in the Croatian part of the "Operational Zone of the Adriatic Coast" were under the command of the Earth Protection units, which were made up of the local Croatian population.

The 1st Istrian Dombobran Regiment (Homeguard Regiment) of the Independent State of Croatia, headquartered in Sušak, was also included in the German military units of the "Operational Zone of the Adriatic Coast".

From some German activities, such as the abolition of the Italian language in schools and the introduction of the Croatian language, it can be concluded that the Third Reich planned to reintegrate the area of ​?the "Operational Zone of the Adriatic Coast" into the Great County of Rasa of the Independent State of Croatia.

The course of the war prevented this return, as well as the return of Sandžak and Bay of Kotor by the Third Reich.

Stamps with the overprint "OZAK" appeared on Italian stamps.

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Overprints at italian stamps from the  “Imperiale” serie.

At the right hand side of “OZAK” the names of the towns in three different languages :

1. italian language : “Trieste - Lubiana - Pola - Fiume” at stamps of 25 Cent

2. german language : “Triest - Laibach - Pola - Sankt Veith am Flaum” (Sankt Veith am Flaum is the german name of Rijeka) at stamps of 30 Cent

3. croatian language : “Trst - Ljubljana - Pula - Rijeka” at stamps of 50 Cent

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Overprints at Michel stamps 623-628 with “Operations Zone Adriatisches Küstenland”.

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Overprints at stamps from the year 1929. with “OZAK”.

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Overprints at stamps “Marka de Bollo” from the year 1939. with “OZAK”.

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Sandžak :

The Sandžak was from the April, 29th, 1941 for 6 months part of the Independent State of Croatia. At this date a stamp set, limited to 99 copies, was issued and given to the some members of the croatian customs members and Ustaša (all croatian muslims).

To honour this annexion, local patriots from the Sandžak who haven´t forgot this event have issued a set of 24 stamps with landscape-motives from the Sandžak at April, 29th, 2024.

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Veterans Association Handschar :

The german Veterans Association Handschar have issued in 1955 two overprinted stamp-sets and between 1989-1994 80 stamp sets to help Croatians in emigration and in the 1990´s to collect money for croatian defense against the serbian aggression against Croatia.

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The “Omoti”-sets :

In 1993 32 music-cover sets were issued from the emigration of the Independent State of Croatia. Every set contains 16 stamps.

8 sets are dedicated bands :
- 3 sets of Depeche Mode.
- 1 set of Kraftwerk.
- 1 set of Front 242.
- 1 set of Nitzer Ebb.
- 1 set of Front Line Assembly.
- 1 set of Skinny Puppy.

24 sets are dedicated to music styles :
- 8 sets of 70s/80s/90s Synthie Pop, Darkwave, Dark Electro, Italo Disco, Neofolk, ... .
- 2 sets of Electronic Body Music.
- 2 sets of Neue Deutsche Welle.
- 2 sets of House, Dance, ... .
- 3 sets of Hip Hop, Miami Bass, Freestyle, ... .
- 3 sets of Heavy Metal, Rock, Hard Rock, ... .
- 1 sets of Punk, Oi, ... .
- 3 sets of Italo Disco, Euro Disco, Hi NRG, ... .

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In 1994 four music-cover sets were issued from the emigration of the Independent State of Croatia :

- 1 set of Erasure
- 1 set of Orchestral Manoeuvres In The Dark
- 1 set of Pet Shop Boys
- 1 set of The Cure

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In 2022 three more music-cover sets were issued from the emigration of the Independent State of Croatia :

- 3 sets of Neofolk, Industrial ...

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In 2024 three band-sets of the band Rammstein were issued from the emigration of the Independent State of Croatia :

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In 2024 nine music-cover sets were issued from the emigration of the Independent State of Croatia :

- 1 set of Adele
- 1 set of Ariana Grande
- 1 set of Beyoncé
- 1 set of Christina Aguilera
- 1 set of Lady Gaga
- 1 set of Miley Cyrus
- 1 set of Pink
- 1 set of Rihanna
- 1 set of Taylor Swift

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Counties “Raša” and “Dubrava” :

After the italian capitulation in the year 1943 the croatian territories, occupied by fascistic Italy, returns to the Independent State of Croatia.

Overprints at italian stamps were issued from the Great County of Dubrava for the planed return of the Bay of Kotor and the planned foundation of the Great County of Raša (today known as Istria).

Read more about the [ Great County of Raša ] and the [ Great County of Dubrava ].

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Prince Eugen Gau :

Before the war III. Reich against the in theeses days existing Kingdom of Yugoslavia, the Germans threatened the Hungarians that if they did not participate in that war, the Volksdeutsche would declare a German state at the territory of Bačka, Banat and eastern Syrmia all the way to Belgrade. That German state was supposed to be connected with a corridor that would go partly around the Danube river to the territory of III. Reich, that is, to the Slovenian Prekomurje, which was then part of III. Reich.

After the proclamation of the Independent State of Croatia April 10, 1941 this plans didn´t stop and the Volksdeutsche planed the proclamation of that state at the birthday of Adolf Hitler
April 20, 1941. They had prepared 3 stamps with overprints on hungarian stamps, but the III. Reich didn´t support this plans, because they don´t want to have problems with the new state, the Independent State of Croatia and also not with Hungary.

The Hungarians were afraid of a possible realisation of such a exteritorial german territory and annexed first the Bačka at the April 11, 1941 and some days later Međimurije of the Independent State of Croatia at the April 16, 1941 so that a corridor between a possible "Prince Eugen Gau" and the III. Reich couldn´t be realized without a war between the Allies Hungary and the III. Reich.

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HOS :

At April 10, 1993, the Croatian Defense Forces (Hrvatske Obrambene Snage = HOS) issued 2 different stamp sets and at April 10, 2024 the third HOS stamp set.

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OZAK :

The "Operation Zone Adriatisches Küstenland" ("Operations Zone Adriatisches Küstenland" or "OZAK") existed from September 10, 1943, and consisted of the Croatian and Slovenian territories occupied by the Kingdom of Italy, as well as the territories in northern Italy, which from October 8, 1943 fell under the control of the German III. Reich, which had the meaning as an operational zone of the German Wehrmacht, means exclusively military.

After the capitulation of Italy on September 8, 1943, the Great County of Raša were established by the Independent State of Croatia from the Croatian areas of Istria, the Kvarer Islands, the city of Rijeka, which was donated to the Kingdom of Italy by Serbian Minister Pasić of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia under the Treaty of Rapala in 1920, the city of Trieste and the present-day Slovenian coast.

The Independent State of Croatia could only formally establish the Great County of Raša, because since the capitulation of Italy on the territory that the Kingdom of Italy got from the Kingdom of Yugoslavia the III. Reich took control since October 1, 1943 over the entire Istrian peninsula, the cities of Rijeka, Sušak, Bakar, Kastav, Čabra and the island of Krk. Those Croatian territories were included in the "Operational Zone of the Adriatic Coast" ("OZAK") together with the Italian provinces of Friuli, Trieste and Gorica, and until the capitulation of Italy to the occupied Slovenian province of Ljubljana from the Italians.

From some German activities, such as the ban of the teaching of the Italian language in schools and the introduction of the Croatian language, it can be concluded that the III. Reich planned the reintegration of the "Operational Zone of the Adriatic Coast" into the Velika župa Raša (Great County of Raša) of the Independent State of Croatia.

The course of the war prevented that return, as well as the return of Sandžak and the Bay of  Kotor from the III. Reich (which controled both areas) to the Independent State of Croatia.

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Prince Eugen Division :

The Volksdeutsche from the Independent State of Croatia issued overprints on German stamps of the “Day of Wehmacht” in 1943 and 1944, which was given to the new members of the division "Prince Eugen".

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Other stamp-series :

The emigration of the Independent State of Croatia has issues also in the year 1999 stamp series of Pope John Paul II.

In 2024 four Independent State of Croatia / Ukraine stamp-series were isued :
Slava Ukraini / Putler

In 2024 the Independent State of Croatia issued seven stamp-series :
- 2 stamp-series of landscapes of the Independent State of Croatia.
- 2 stamp-series with croatian food-motives.
- 3 stamp-series with croatian football fans

Other stamp series :

- Beware of Yugoslavs
- Communist bandit Josip Broz Tito
- Croatian coat of arms
- Croatian Kingdom
- Croatian Muslims
- Erich von Däniken
- Fazlagića kula
- History of the Croats
- King and Queen of the Independent State of Croatia
- Mother
- Sandžak 2024 in two sizes.
- Ustasha
- Velika Smradija (Velika Srbija/Great Serbia)
- Zvonimir Boban

Pocket watch :

Absolute rarity : we can offer you a Zenith Pocket watch with Rubins with coat of arms of the Independent State of Croatia and “Za dom spremni!” of the watchmaker Jozo Mazuric from Mostar. [ Read more ]

Coins :

We offer you very hard to find coins of the Independent State of Croatia and the 2nd exile.
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Silver ring :

The german veteran-association “Handschar” issued in 1955 three different silver rings. One of them is that one with the coat of arms of the Independent State of Croatia. [ Read more ]