European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)

But of course, anti-fascism was present in the Primorje region already prior to the war.

Decision to join the partisan forces

By 1941 I was ready. And not only I.

The entire Primorje region was ready to fight against fascism.

Of course, anti-fascism was not the only rage in the Slovenian territory. There was also the National Liberation Movement.

The Slovenes in the Slovenian Primorje region sensed a chance through the liberation movement, through WWII.

We were always confident that the Allied forces would conquer the nazi-fascists.

By taking part in the resistance we were faced with an historical opportunity

to join the rest of Slovenian territory in some new form of community.

Then there were whispers of the Partisan movement in the Primorje region.

Ever-indignant against fascist politics reaching even into the depths of the schooling system, I reported to the activists immediately.

I wanted to join the Partisans. My first contact was with the unit operating in the Karst and in the Vipava valley.

I presented myself at the end of 1942.

They advised me that winter was nearing and that it’s pointless because the leaves will be falling and camouflage will be more difficult.

They told me to come back in the spring and that they’ll be delighted to have me then. So I returned home.

Who knows if it was just a call of fate, but in February 1943 the Italian army found this group and slaughtered them all. Each and every young Partisan.

Then they brought the corpses to the cemetery in Stanjel and forced the locals to come and look at the dead Partisans.

They wanted us to get the impression that the resistance movement was over. They crammed us into that cemetery.

Just to make a stronger impression they partially stripped the dead bodies and turned them over in various ways, displaying even their genitals.

This dishonor to the deceased was an outrage to me, considering my classical upbringing straight from the theological seminary -