The Independent State of Croatia (NDH), as the fourth occupier in Slovenia, was given a few villages on the right bank of the Sava River, south of Brežice. The Germans gave these villages to it in the summer of 1941. Here, too, the Germans protected the border with barbed wire, a minefield and watchtowers. At least two towers have been preserved in the vicinity of Velika dolina, and one near Čedem. A boundary marker near Nova vas has also been preserved.
Map of the territory occupied by the NDH.
The village of Čedem was given to Croatia. The picture shows the village of Kamence, 400 metres north of Čedem. The border ran below the houses in the picture. A mine placed on the border killed Ivan Žurko and Alojz Kovačič on 6 December. Author of the top photograph: Bojan Balkovec. The bottom photograph is kept by: Antonija Erklavec.
Alojz Godec from Obrežje standing in front of a memorial to World War II casualties in Slovenska vas. The last name inscribed on the memorial is that of his brother Branko, who was 16 years old when he died. He fell victim to a German minefield while taking cattle to graze near the border in Perišče. The border ran along the road in which Alojz Godec is standing. Branko was killed near the plaque. Below is the entry of Branko’s death in the register of deaths of the Samobor parish. Author: Božidar Flajšman. Hrvatski državni arhiv.
»My father and his friend [Nikolaj Lazanski] stored stakes here for the vineyard across the border. My mother was with them and they sent her to fetch drinking water. […] In the meantime, my father’s friend stepped on a mine and was killed instantly. My father was heavily wounded and unfortunately didn’t survive. My mother found him alive, but he died a few minutes later. I should mention that my mother was pregnant with me at the time; I was born a month and a half after my father’s tragic death.« Franc Gajski (born 1943). Author: Božidar Flajšman.
On 27 September 1941, the NDH incorporated the occupied villages of Bregansko selo (Slovenska vas), Nova vas pri Mokricah, Jesenice, Obrežje and Rajec into the new Municipality of Bregana. Besides the above-mentioned villages, the village of Čedem was also incorporated into the NDH. Zakoni, zakonske odredbe i naredbe NDH.
Before the war, these villages, apart from Čedem, belonged to the Velika Dolina parish. During the war, they were entrusted to the care of a parish priest from Samobor. He was assisted by Franciscan monks from the monastery in Samobor. The part of the document discussing the necessity of getting accustomed to the Croatian language has been highlighted. Hrvatski državni arhiv, Odjel Nadbiskupijskog arhiva u Zagrebu.
![»My father and his friend [Nikolaj Lazanski] stored stakes here for the vineyard across the border. My mother was with them and they sent her to fetch drinking water. […] In the meantime, my father’s friend stepped on a mine and was killed instantly. My father was heavily wounded and unfortunately didn’t survive. My mother found him alive, but he died a few minutes later. I should mention that my mother was pregnant with me at the time; I was born a month and a half after my father’s tragic death.« Franc Gajski (born 1943). Author: Božidar Flajšman.](https://www2.sistory.si/publikacije/razstave/Okupacijske_meje/Pictures/exh06/exh06-Meje-pano10-image4-normal.jpg)
