As early as the summer of 1941, the Hungarian authorities expropriated all settlers who obtained land on the Esterházy estate in Prekmurje as part of the Yugoslav agrarian reform. Following unsuccessful negotiations with the Italian authorities on the takeover of settlers from Primorska and Istra, settled in the vicinity of Doljna Lendava, 587 persons were interned in Sárvár on June 22 and 23, 1942. After several months of living in the camp, the children of the interned were transferred to various families in Bačko, where they remained until the end of the war. In the fall of 1942 and early 1943, 57 internees moved to NDH. The Sárvár camp was liberated at the end of March 1945 by the Red Army. Of the 587 internees (or 589, if we add two babies born after the internment), 23 died during the war, while 12 died outside the camp. The majority of people died from food shortages, malnutrition, and unbearable hygienic conditions, while the cause of death for some interns who died outside the camp is unknown.
The number of settlers from Primorska coming from the vicinity of Doljna Lendava interned in the Sárvár camp in 1942, by settlements.
The second page of the list of settlers composed by the Hungarian authorities in January 2942. MNL OL, K-28, 101 csomó, 166. tétel, 22.
The cover of Angeza Papež's memorial book which she wrote at the Sárvár camp. Source: Bensa, Usoda naših dni, 14.
The settlers from Kamovci plowing the soil in 1940. The photograph is kept by Jože Vidič, Lendava.
»One day a message arrived, saying that children from the camp are to be put to foster care in Bačka. /.../ Serbian Orthodox Church organized the rescue of children. /.../ We were lucky enough to get to the camp when the action was already underway. I mentioned that we arrived on June 24 (1942). In August, the question arose: who wants to send the children out? I was the youngest in the family. My mother called me and told me: If you stay in the camp, you'll die. Sure, I've seen death when we were there. If you want to live, we need to separate. I did not dispute the decision …« (Lendava, January 26, 2020). Jože Vidič from Kamovci was interned at the Sárvár camp together with his family who moved from Primorska to Prekmurje during the interwar period. (Lendava, January 26, 2020). Auhor: Bojan Balkovec .
The courtyard of the Sárvár internment camp on the 1942 footage. Bensa, Usoda naših dni, 5.
Jože Vidič in front, behind him is Imre Csanádi wearing an army cap, unknown person with a rifle in his hands. Sitting on a motorcycle is Čurić, a child standing behind him is Dušan Živanov. Photo was taken on January 1, 1944 in Sivac (Bačka). Jože was in foster care by Milosavljev family, whilst his sisters Pavla and Marija were fostered by Majski and Pavko family. The photograph is kept by Jože Vidič.
