granik was a ramp used to unload goods from boats on the sava river. in winter 1943-44, prisoners who did farming work had no jobs to do, since the ground was frozen. meanwhile, large numbers of new prisoners arrived. by this time, the axis powers were expected to lose world war ii, and the ustaše wanted to kill as many people as possible before that happened. they decided to execute people on the ramp, so that after they were killed, their bodies could be dumped into the river.