European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)
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It felt truly horrible to me that Ljubljana was surrounded by barbed wire,
It felt truly horrible to me that Ljubljana was surrounded by barbed wire,
It felt truly horrible to me that Ljubljana was enclosed with a barbed wire, -
because I’m incredibly attached to nature.
because I’m incredibly attached to nature.
because I’m extremely attached to nature. -
Especially now that I understand who I am as a painter.
Especially now that I understand who I am as a painter.
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Above all I’m a landscape painter, because it’s my world.
Above all I’m a landscape painter, because it’s my world.
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Before the war, I’d cycle out of Ljubljana to find some motif to draw and paint.
Before the war, I’d cycle out of Ljubljana to find some motif to draw and paint.
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All of a sudden I wasn’t allowed to leave Ljubljana.
All of a sudden I wasn’t allowed to leave Ljubljana.
All of a sudden I wasn’t permitted to leave Ljubljana. -
At first we received a sort of ‘lascia passare’,
At first we received a sort of ‘lascia passare’,
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some sort of legitimation paper, if you weren’t disliked by the occupying police.
some sort of legitimation paper, if you weren’t disliked by the occupying police.
some sort of legitimation paper, if you weren’t poorly thought of by the occupying police. -
Later they abolished it.
Later they abolished it.
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So as long as I still had the lascia passare, I’d cycle to the outskirts of Ljubljana.
So as long as I still had the lascia passare, I’d cycle to the outskirts of Ljubljana.
So as long as I still had the lascia passare, I’d still cycle to the outskirts of Ljubljana. -
Then they prohibited bicycles and I couldn’t go anywhere anymore.
Then they prohibited bicycles and I couldn’t go anywhere anymore.
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To find a way back out into nature, I turned my ‘bicycle’ into a ‘tricycle’.
To find a way back out into nature, I turned my ‘bicycle’ into a ‘tricycle’.
To find a way back out into the nature, I turned my ‘bicycle’ into a ‘tricycle’. -
I took a wheel from my sister’s bicycle and had a colleague attach it to my bicycle.
I took a wheel from my sister’s bicycle and had a colleague attach it to my bicycle.
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So I could go out again on my tricycle. I rode to the Ljubljana marsh and such.
So I could go out again on my tricycle. I rode to the Ljubljana marsh and such.
So I could go out again on my tricycle. I rode to the Ljubljana Marsh and such like. -
On the way back to the city, the guards stopped me
On the way back to the city, the guards stopped me
Returning to the city, the guards stopped me -
and inspected me and discovered that all I had were flowers and let me pass on through.
and inspected me and discovered that all I had were flowers and let me pass on through.
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But when I reached today’s Presernova Street and passed by the Italian police,
But when I reached today’s Presernova Street and passed by the Italian police,
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somebody started screaming that I should be stopped.
somebody started screaming that I should be stopped.
somebody started shrieking that I should be stopped. -
Then the so-called ‘quaestors’ arrested me and confiscated my tricycle and took me to the police.
Then the so-called ‘quaestors’ arrested me and confiscated my tricycle and took me to the police.
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What was I doing with this? I told them that I went out into countryside.
What was I doing with this? I told them that I went out into countryside.
What I was doing with this? I told them that I went out into the nature.