European Resistance Archive/European Resistance Archive (ERA)

Hearing the first news that some opposition had arisen somewhere -

especially once these news came to the Slovenians in the Primorje region, which belonged to Italy –

we all were automatically for the Partisan movement.

Not only were we inclined to it, indeed we experienced it extremely naively.

It was a romantic view of unconquerable Partisans,

the same Partisans who suddenly show up first here and then there, un-capturable!

The first Partisans were in our eyes according to our hopes and aspirations. They did not conform to reality.

Already in 1942 there were posters hung all over the Primorje region,

warrants for the arrest of a renowned Partisan of the time, Janko Premrl – Vojko.

Later he fell in action and was designated a national hero.

A financial reward was offered to anyone who would turn him over, dead or alive, to the Italian military authorities.

Despite the large sum posed, especially for the conditions at the time,

no-one was tempted to betrayal or the mediation of information,

which might bring about the arrest or the mere identification of his whereabouts or doings.

Vojko, that is, Janko Premrl became a legendary hero in our eyes.

We attributed to him various activities, which he never even did, nor could he have done.

We said he’d been to Venice, Rome and atop Nanos all at the same time – like a miracle man.

Although we knew it was impossible, it was what we thirsted for.

In the beginning the Partisans were just a small band, but we made their strength out to be that of an entire troop.

These were the dreamy visions of the resistance.