THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECISION FROM MAY 18, 1945 DEALING WITH THE REMOVAL OF MILITARY GRAVEYARDS AND GRAVES OF „OCCUPIERS“ AND „PEOPLE’S ENEMIES“ IN SLOVENIA Cover Image

PROVOĐENJE ODLUKE OD 18. MAJA 1945. O UKLANJANJU VOJNIH GROBALJA I GROBOVA „OKUPATORA“ I „NARODNIH NEPRIJATELJA“ U SLOVENIJI
THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE DECISION FROM MAY 18, 1945 DEALING WITH THE REMOVAL OF MILITARY GRAVEYARDS AND GRAVES OF „OCCUPIERS“ AND „PEOPLE’S ENEMIES“ IN SLOVENIA

Author(s): Vladimir Geiger
Subject(s): WW II and following years (1940 - 1949)
Published by: Institut za savremenu istoriju, Beograd
Keywords: Slovenia; 1945; Decision to remove the graveyards and individual graves of „occupiers“ and „people’s enemies“; Communist repression

Summary/Abstract: Immediately after the end of World War II Yugoslav communists took various measures to completely and radically liquidate their enemies. One of these measures was a decision of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Democratic Federative Yugoslavia from May 18, 1945 to remove the graveyards and individual graves of fallen „occupying“ soldiers and of „people’s enemies“. This measure was concerning the graves and memorial monuments of German, Italian and Hungarian soldiers, as well as members of Ustasha, Chetnik and Slovenian Home Guard units. Removal of graveyards and individual graves of „occupiers“ and „people’s enemies“ was conducted thoroughly in Slovenia. This can be proven by available documents and witnesses of these events as well as by the present day conditions of graveyards localities. Destruction of military graveyards of „enemies“ was conducted in Yugoslavia not only in the immediate postwar period, but also later. Even during the late 1980s State Security service observed locations of unmarked graves, especially those better known, in order to identify all those who visited these locations where during the war and immediately after „enemy” soldiers and civilians were executed and buried. After the World War II, graves and graveyard of killed partisans as well as graves and graveyards of the „victims of fascist terror“ were protected according to the law, taken care of and maintained. Graves and graveyards of „enemy” soldiers and graves of those who „collaborated with the occupying powers“ were outside the law. The situation remained unchanged until the dissolution of the Socialist Federativ Republic of Yugoslavia.

  • Issue Year: 2016
  • Issue No: 2
  • Page Range: 45-62
  • Page Count: 18
  • Language: Croatian