Menu

<<

Germanisation

^>>

<<

^>>

In Rogaška Slatina, the decree banning the general public use of the Slovene language was implemented in offices, schools and churches rather late. Namely, the final deadline for abandoning the use of Slovene signs and place names (villages, streets, road and railway crossings, inns, signposts, etc.) and bilingualism was 15 June 1941. In Ptuj, bilingualism was abolished as early as April. At the glassworks, Nazi appeals were also translated into Croatian because of the large number of Croatian-speaking glassworkers.

Confiscations, Exiles and Deportations to Camps

In this resort town, in accordance with the desire to annihilate the Slovene nation, the Nazis quickly carried out mass arrests and torture, and exiled people across the southernmost border of the Reich. Orders to detain and confiscate were issued by the branch of the German Intelligence Service (SD) in Rogaška Slatina, in cooperation with the Gestapo. As early as 29 April, a Jewish person was exiled across the Sotla River. A report dated 3 June reveals that, besides Jews, the deportation list mainly included the aware, educated and previously politically active inhabitants of Rogaška Slatina, followed by immigrants after 1914 (the latter were censused on 27 April, when 2,005 immigrants were recorded). After being tortured in temporary detention centres, their final destinations were usually the Ustasha Independent State of Croatia (NDH) and Serbia. Quite a few families from Rogaška Slatina ended up in concentration camps. Their property was, of course, confiscated. Reports from the Rogaška Slatina Gendarmerie Station reveal that between the seizure of power and 3 June 1941, the occupying forces immediately exiled 26 persons from the town and made many more temporary arrests. Due to acts of treason at clandestine meetings in Graz (where the volksdeutscher from Rogaška Slatina were also present), many lists for arrests in Rogaška Slatina were written directly in Berlin and Graz even before the German attack.

Labour and Military Conscription

The first defeats on the Eastern Front in December 1941 forced Germany to conscript an additional military and labour force, and to increase the utilisation of raw materials in the occupied areas. As its soldiers were leaving for the battlefields, the increasingly burdened German industry was experiencing a shortage of workers, which was why Germany introduced a compulsory and uniformed Reich Labour Service (Reichsarbeitsdienst/RAD) and compulsory military service in the occupied territory of Lower Styria as early as the spring of 1942. This major violation of international law was simply ignored. By May 1943 alone, around 20,000 workers were dragged to work from the Slovene part of Styria, and more than 28,000 Styrian men were conscripted into the German Army before it capitulated. The conscripts from Rogaška Slatina were scattered across nearly every battlefield. Most of them were sent to the Eastern Front (the largest theatre of war in Europe), which, besides Russia, also included Poland, Hungary, Ukraine and Romania. Many of them were also stationed in France, Belgium, Italy and the Netherlands, where they started surrendering themselves to the Allied armies after the Western Front collapsed. A smaller number of them were sent to Finland, North Africa and elsewhere. According to incomplete lists and rough estimates, the Germans conscripted slightly less than 5,000 men from the Celje District into RAD and the army; around 670 of them were killed. Accurate data for Rogaška Slatina are still being determined.

Immediately after occupation, Germans began the complete Germanisation of the population of Lower Styria. The photograph shows a celebration involving German organisations, such as the German Youth (Hitlerjugend), etc. The entire surrounding area bears Nazi symbols. MNZS.
Immediately after occupation, Germans began the complete Germanisation of the population of Lower Styria. The photograph shows a celebration involving German organisations, such as the German Youth (Hitlerjugend), etc. The entire surrounding area bears Nazi symbols. MNZS.


Anton Belcer, born in 1923, was included in the group of the first military conscripts in Lower Styria; he was forced to enlist in the German Army (Heer) as early as July 1942, when the occupying forces began to enlist the first men, i.e. those born in 1923. Contrary to the special decree on sending men born in that year to the Labour Service and only afterwards to the Wehrmacht, Anton was sent directly to the front. He fought in the tank-hunting unit in Finland and Norway, where he was captured by the British. He suffered severe frostbite in battle and they had to amputate two of his toes. (Source: Programme for men forced to conscript into the German Army, MNZS, 19 September 2017. Published courtesy of Irena Poharc, who owns the original.
Anton Belcer, born in 1923, was included in the group of the first military conscripts in Lower Styria; he was forced to enlist in the German Army (Heer) as early as July 1942, when the occupying forces began to enlist the first men, i.e. those born in 1923. Contrary to the special decree on sending men born in that year to the Labour Service and only afterwards to the Wehrmacht, Anton was sent directly to the front. He fought in the tank-hunting unit in Finland and Norway, where he was captured by the British. He suffered severe frostbite in battle and they had to amputate two of his toes. (Source: Programme for men forced to conscript into the German Army, MNZS, 19 September 2017. Published courtesy of Irena Poharc, who owns the original.


Ivan Siter, born in 1924, forced to conscript into the Wehrmacht and sent to northern France. Just before the Allies invaded Normandy (6 June 1944) he went on leave and headed for the occupied Slovenia. After a sudden German order to cancel all leaves, his train was redirected in Austria to the Eastern Front. Back home, he had connections that would have enabled him to join the partisan Sava Detachment. He was captured by the Soviets in the Pinsk Marshes and sent to a prison near the Kama River at the foot of the Ural Mountains. He returned home in late 1946, but very feeble. Published courtesy of Janez Siter, who owns the original.
Ivan Siter, born in 1924, forced to conscript into the Wehrmacht and sent to northern France. Just before the Allies invaded Normandy (6 June 1944) he went on leave and headed for the occupied Slovenia. After a sudden German order to cancel all leaves, his train was redirected in Austria to the Eastern Front. Back home, he had connections that would have enabled him to join the partisan Sava Detachment. He was captured by the Soviets in the Pinsk Marshes and sent to a prison near the Kama River at the foot of the Ural Mountains. He returned home in late 1946, but very feeble. Published courtesy of Janez Siter, who owns the original.


A report from the occupation administration in Rogaška Slatina proving that Slovene books were confiscated and taken off the shelves by 11 November 1941. Any further printing of postcards with Slovene captions was cancelled. Archives of the RS.
A report from the occupation administration in Rogaška Slatina proving that Slovene books were confiscated and taken off the shelves by 11 November 1941. Any further printing of postcards with Slovene captions was cancelled. Archives of the RS.


“Mine and My Mother's Exile and Curse”: the diary entries of Marija Drimel about the horrific events in the period from early July 1942 to 30 July 1945. The author wrote most of the pages in great secrecy behind the barbed wire of the largest concentration camp, Auschwitz. The first entry was written on 7 July 1942, even before being deported to the camp, when Rogaška Slatina was dealt one of the hardest blows. On that day, after capturing and torturing a local to get information, German troops crammed 27 poor glassworkers into their lorries in front of the glassworks, and took them to the Stari pisker prison. In the following weeks and months, they were shot to death by Nazis in front of the “death wall” in this Celje prison. Published courtesy of Maša and Leon Drimel, who own the original.
“Mine and My Mother's Exile and Curse”: the diary entries of Marija Drimel about the horrific events in the period from early July 1942 to 30 July 1945. The author wrote most of the pages in great secrecy behind the barbed wire of the largest concentration camp, Auschwitz. The first entry was written on 7 July 1942, even before being deported to the camp, when Rogaška Slatina was dealt one of the hardest blows. On that day, after capturing and torturing a local to get information, German troops crammed 27 poor glassworkers into their lorries in front of the glassworks, and took them to the Stari pisker prison. In the following weeks and months, they were shot to death by Nazis in front of the “death wall” in this Celje prison. Published courtesy of Maša and Leon Drimel, who own the original.


Postcard sent from Rogaška Slatina in January 1945. It promotes the submontane climate (the occupying forces made a mistake there), the healing water and the diet food. Just as the glassworks operated with limited capacity, so did the health resort, which was ran by Director Wolf. In the beginning of May 1942, with the start of the new season, Wolf managed to move the police curfew for guests of the health resort from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Some of the hotel buildings that were part of the health resort's accommodation offer were closed during the winter. Thus, the Ozom Hotel and the Triglav Hotel were still closed in the middle of May 1942. Published courtesy of Robert Reich (Rogaška Slatina once upon a time), who owns the original.
Postcard sent from Rogaška Slatina in January 1945. It promotes the submontane climate (the occupying forces made a mistake there), the healing water and the diet food. Just as the glassworks operated with limited capacity, so did the health resort, which was ran by Director Wolf. In the beginning of May 1942, with the start of the new season, Wolf managed to move the police curfew for guests of the health resort from 9 p.m. to 11 p.m. Some of the hotel buildings that were part of the health resort's accommodation offer were closed during the winter. Thus, the Ozom Hotel and the Triglav Hotel were still closed in the middle of May 1942. Published courtesy of Robert Reich (Rogaška Slatina once upon a time), who owns the original.


A list of people arrested and exiled in the area of the Municipality of Rogaška Slatina. The list covers the period up to 3 June 1941. The curate from the parish house of the Church of the Cross and the parish priest from Kostrivnica were arrested and transferred to prisons in Maribor. Deportation also befell librarians, doctors, teachers (Rudolf Predan, the head teacher of the school in Sveti Križ was also deported), clerks and secretaries at the municipal hall, at the post office, at the health resort (including Ivan Gračner, the health resort's director until that time), and various landowners. Archives of the RS.
A list of people arrested and exiled in the area of the Municipality of Rogaška Slatina. The list covers the period up to 3 June 1941. The curate from the parish house of the Church of the Cross and the parish priest from Kostrivnica were arrested and transferred to prisons in Maribor. Deportation also befell librarians, doctors, teachers (Rudolf Predan, the head teacher of the school in Sveti Križ was also deported), clerks and secretaries at the municipal hall, at the post office, at the health resort (including Ivan Gračner, the health resort's director until that time), and various landowners. Archives of the RS.


<<

>>