Provođenje odluke od 18. maja 1945. o uklanjanju vojnih grobalja i grobova ''okupatora'' i ''narodnih neprijatelja'' u Sloveniji

• Main Author: Vladimir Geiger
• Format: Article
• Language: deu
• Published: Institut za Savremenu Istoriju 2016-08-01
• Series: Istorija 20. Veka
• Subjects: Slovenia; 1945; Decision to remove the graveyards and individual graves of „occupiers“ and „people’s enemies“; Communist repression
• Online Access: http://istorija20veka.rs/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/2016_2_03-Geiger.pdf
• ISSN: 0352-3160; 2560-3647

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 Federative Republic of Yugoslavia.