Before the war, German propaganda was present also in the Dolenjska region. It was also because of this propaganda that many towns welcomed the arrival of the German Army. They set up maypoles and hung German flags. In some places, they followed the example of noblemen or important townspeople. In the villages below Hmeljnik Castle they hung out German flags because one was hanging from Hmeljnik Castle. When Italians arrived in this area, the German flags disappeared.
Three bunkers stood by the Škerlj residence in Gotna vas. Dolenjski muzej Novo mesto. Borut Škerlj (born 1960) next to the remains of a bunker. Author: Božidar Flajšman.
Mihael (born 1932) and Ana Rukše (born 1928) remember that Germans were the first to arrive in Gabrje in April 1941. Some of the locals ordered all the houses in the village to hang out German flags. Two triumphal arches were set up and two maypoles with a board between them inscribed with »Heil Hitler«. The people of Gabrje did that in fear of what was to come. People were asked to greet the Germans especially by those who had worked in Germany before the war, where they earned enough money to enable a better life for their families at home. They thought that once these parts were occupied by Germans, the people would get jobs and better living conditions. They soon realised that was not the case and the people of Gabrje started supporting the Partisans. Partisan units often stayed in the village and its surroundings during the war. Author: Blaž Štangelj.
The people of Gorenja Straža spent three days collecting signatures in support of annexation to Germany. Dolenjski muzej Novo mesto.
The border between Germany and Italy severed certain towns in the Province of Ljubljana from the parent municipality or, in other words, the part of the municipality containing the municipal centre was located in Germany. With a special ordinance High Commissioner Grazioli allocated such towns to municipalities in the Province of Ljubljana. Slovenski narod, 8 July 1941.
Many disliked the Germans. Thus, one house in Karteljevo did not hang out the German flag. The Germans demanded that they hang the flag. The lady of the house solved this predicament in an unusual way by using a red fabric. Dolenjski muzej Novo mesto.
Often, the noblemen were the ones who advocated the annexation to Germany. Dolenjski muzej Novo mesto.
