Kremnička and Nemecká massacres: Difference between revisions
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The '''Kremnička |
The '''Kremnička and Nemecká massacres''' were a series of massacres committed between 5 November 1944 and 19 February 1945 in [[Kremnička]] and [[Nemecká]], [[Slovak State|Slovakia]] by the [[Hlinka Guard Emergency Divisions]] and [[Einsatzkommando 14]]. Half of the 747 victims were Jewish; the remainder were actual or suspected [[Slovak partisans]] or [[Romani people]]. |
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==Background== |
==Background== |
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In response to increased activity of [[Slovak partisans]] who opposed Nazi Germany and the Axis-aligned Slovak government, Germany invaded Slovakia, precipitating the [[Slovak National Uprising]], which broke out on 29 August 1944. Fearing a resumption of deportations to [[extermination camps]], many Jews fled to [[Banská Bystrica]], the center of the uprising, and other partisan-controlled areas in central Slovakia.{{sfn|Fatran |1996|p=99}} The Germans and local collaborators—[[Hlinka Guard Emergency Divisions]] (POHG)—soon defeated the partisans and [[Slovak Army]] units which supported the uprising.{{sfn|Fatran |1996|p=101}} When Banská Bystrica, the last opposition stronghold, fell on 27 October, Jews and Romani people as well as actual and suspected partisans were rounded up and held temporarily in an overcrowded prison with minimal food and water.{{sfn|Fatran|1996|p=114-115}} |
In response to increased activity of [[Slovak partisans]] who opposed Nazi Germany and the Axis-aligned Slovak government, Germany invaded Slovakia, precipitating the [[Slovak National Uprising]], which broke out on 29 August 1944. Fearing a resumption of deportations to [[extermination camps]], many Jews fled to [[Banská Bystrica]], the center of the uprising, and other partisan-controlled areas in central Slovakia.{{sfn|Fatran |1996|p=99}} The Germans and local collaborators—[[Hlinka Guard Emergency Divisions]] (POHG)—soon defeated the partisans and [[Slovak Army]] units which supported the uprising.{{sfn|Fatran |1996|p=101}} When Banská Bystrica, the last opposition stronghold, fell on 27 October, Jews and Romani people as well as actual and suspected partisans were rounded up and held temporarily in an overcrowded prison with minimal food and water.{{sfn|Fatran|1996|p=114-115}} |
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==Massacres== |
==Massacres at Kremnička== |
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Victims were placed in trucks and driven to Kremnička, where the partisans had dug anti-tank trenches. They were told to leave the trucks and were marched across a field to the trenches, where they were told to lie down. According to witnesses, the victims did not offer resistance. Both German and Slovak soldiers went through the rows of victims and shot them one by one. Other soldiers stood guard around the perimeter to make sure that no one escaped. After some had been killed, others jumped into the trenches among the dead, however the soldiers went through and shot them.{{sfn|Hruboň|2010|pp=41-43}} There were massacres on 5 November, 20 November (282 victims), 12 and 19 December, 5 and 20 January, and 19 February.{{sfn|Hruboň|2010|pp=41, 44}} |
Victims were placed in trucks and driven to Kremnička, where the partisans had dug anti-tank trenches. They were told to leave the trucks and were marched across a field to the trenches, where they were told to lie down. According to witnesses, the victims did not offer resistance. Both German and Slovak soldiers went through the rows of victims and shot them one by one. Other soldiers stood guard around the perimeter to make sure that no one escaped. After some had been killed, others jumped into the trenches among the dead, however the soldiers went through and shot them.{{sfn|Hruboň|2010|pp=41-43}} There were massacres on 5 November, 20 November (282 victims), 12 and 19 December, 5 and 20 January, and 19 February.{{sfn|Hruboň|2010|pp=41, 44}} |
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According to Slovak historian Anton Hruboň, about 5% of all members of the Emergency Divisions actually participated in massacres.{{sfn|Hruboň|2010|p=40}} However, Slovak collaborators who had been present at Kremnička frequently lied about their involvement in order to avoid prosecution, for example claiming that they had been threatened and coerced into participating in the massacre by German SD members and only shot over victims' heads.{{sfn|Hruboň|2010|pp=43-44}} Other Slovak collaborators bragged about their murders, despite strict orders to keep the crimes confidential.{{sfn|Hruboň|2010|pp=44-45}} Therefore, it is impossible to know the exact role that individual soldiers played in the massacre, but even those who did not shoot still contributed to the killings by guarding the perimeter and performing other auxiliary tasks.{{sfn|Hruboň|2010|p=44}} |
According to Slovak historian Anton Hruboň, about 5% of all members of the Emergency Divisions actually participated in massacres.{{sfn|Hruboň|2010|p=40}} However, Slovak collaborators who had been present at Kremnička frequently lied about their involvement in order to avoid prosecution, for example claiming that they had been threatened and coerced into participating in the massacre by German SD members and only shot over victims' heads.{{sfn|Hruboň|2010|pp=43-44}} Other Slovak collaborators bragged about their murders, despite strict orders to keep the crimes confidential.{{sfn|Hruboň|2010|pp=44-45}} Therefore, it is impossible to know the exact role that individual soldiers played in the massacre, but even those who did not shoot still contributed to the killings by guarding the perimeter and performing other auxiliary tasks.{{sfn|Hruboň|2010|p=44}} |
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==Massacres at Nemecká== |
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==Trials== |
==Trials== |
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;Web sources |
;Web sources |
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*{{cite news |last1= |
*{{cite news |last1=Getting |first1=Peter |title=Umrela pre lásku: V decembri 1944 skončila v masovom hrobe významná slovenská intelektuálka |url=https://plus7dni.pluska.sk/domov/umrela-pre-lasku-decembri-1944-skoncila-masovom-hrobe-vyznamna-slovenska-intelektualka |accessdate=7 October 2018 |date=22 December 2017 |ref=harv |language=sk}} |
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*{{cite news |last1=Jancura |first1=Vladimír |title=Slovenské katyne si strážia svoje tajomstvá |url=https://spravy.pravda.sk/domace/clanok/166257-slovenske-katyne-si-strazia-svoje-tajomstva/ |accessdate=7 October 2018 |work=[[Pravda (Slovakia)|Pravda]] |date=16 May 2010 |language=sk|ref=harv}} |
*{{cite news |last1=Jancura |first1=Vladimír |title=Slovenské katyne si strážia svoje tajomstvá |url=https://spravy.pravda.sk/domace/clanok/166257-slovenske-katyne-si-strazia-svoje-tajomstva/ |accessdate=7 October 2018 |work=[[Pravda (Slovakia)|Pravda]] |date=16 May 2010 |language=sk|ref=harv}} |
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*{{cite news |last1=Schön |first1=Jozef |title=Keď Slovák vraždil Slováka |url=https://style.hnonline.sk/vikend/185671-ked-slovak-vrazdil-slovaka |accessdate=7 October 2018 |work=Hnonline |date=16 March 2017 |ref=harv |language=sk}} |
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Revision as of 11:33, 8 October 2018
The Kremnička and Nemecká massacres were a series of massacres committed between 5 November 1944 and 19 February 1945 in Kremnička and Nemecká, Slovakia by the Hlinka Guard Emergency Divisions and Einsatzkommando 14. Half of the 747 victims were Jewish; the remainder were actual or suspected Slovak partisans or Romani people.
Background
In response to increased activity of Slovak partisans who opposed Nazi Germany and the Axis-aligned Slovak government, Germany invaded Slovakia, precipitating the Slovak National Uprising, which broke out on 29 August 1944. Fearing a resumption of deportations to extermination camps, many Jews fled to Banská Bystrica, the center of the uprising, and other partisan-controlled areas in central Slovakia.[1] The Germans and local collaborators—Hlinka Guard Emergency Divisions (POHG)—soon defeated the partisans and Slovak Army units which supported the uprising.[2] When Banská Bystrica, the last opposition stronghold, fell on 27 October, Jews and Romani people as well as actual and suspected partisans were rounded up and held temporarily in an overcrowded prison with minimal food and water.[3]
Massacres at Kremnička
Victims were placed in trucks and driven to Kremnička, where the partisans had dug anti-tank trenches. They were told to leave the trucks and were marched across a field to the trenches, where they were told to lie down. According to witnesses, the victims did not offer resistance. Both German and Slovak soldiers went through the rows of victims and shot them one by one. Other soldiers stood guard around the perimeter to make sure that no one escaped. After some had been killed, others jumped into the trenches among the dead, however the soldiers went through and shot them.[4] There were massacres on 5 November, 20 November (282 victims), 12 and 19 December, 5 and 20 January, and 19 February.[5]
Of the 747 victims, 211 were women and 58 were children; half were Jewish.[3] Two of the victims, Haviva Reik and Rafi Reiss, were Jewish Parachutists of Mandate Palestine.[6] Another well-known victim was the Slovak Jewish intellectual Alžbeta Göllnerová-Gwerková.[7]
According to Slovak historian Anton Hruboň, about 5% of all members of the Emergency Divisions actually participated in massacres.[8] However, Slovak collaborators who had been present at Kremnička frequently lied about their involvement in order to avoid prosecution, for example claiming that they had been threatened and coerced into participating in the massacre by German SD members and only shot over victims' heads.[9] Other Slovak collaborators bragged about their murders, despite strict orders to keep the crimes confidential.[10] Therefore, it is impossible to know the exact role that individual soldiers played in the massacre, but even those who did not shoot still contributed to the killings by guarding the perimeter and performing other auxiliary tasks.[11]
Massacres at Nemecká
Trials
Commemoration
The event has been described as the Slovak Katyn.[12] Some Slovak commentators have focused on the fact that Slovak collaborators killed gentile Slovak citizens.[13]
References
- Citations
- ^ Fatran 1996, p. 99.
- ^ Fatran 1996, p. 101.
- ^ a b Fatran 1996, p. 114-115.
- ^ Hruboň 2010, pp. 41–43.
- ^ Hruboň 2010, pp. 41, 44.
- ^ Gilbert 2004, p. 611.
- ^ Getting 2017.
- ^ Hruboň 2010, p. 40.
- ^ Hruboň 2010, pp. 43–44.
- ^ Hruboň 2010, pp. 44–45.
- ^ Hruboň 2010, p. 44.
- ^ Jancura 2010.
- ^ Schön 2017.
- Print sources
- Fatran, Gila (1996). "Die Deportation der Juden aus der Slowakei 1944-1945" [The deportation of the Jews from Slovakia 1944-45]. Bohemia: Zeitschrift für Geschichte und Kultur der böhmischen Länder (in German) (37): 98–119.
{{cite journal}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Hruboň, Anton (2010). 5. poľná rota Hlinkovej gardy [The Fifth Company of the Hlinka Guard] (PDF) (in Slovak). Ružomberok: Historia nostra. ISBN 978-80-9700-80-2-4.
{{cite book}}:|journal=ignored (help); Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Gilbert, Martin (1 June 2004). The Second World War: A Complete History. Macmillan. ISBN 978-0-8050-7623-3.
{{cite book}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help)
- Web sources
- Getting, Peter (22 December 2017). "Umrela pre lásku: V decembri 1944 skončila v masovom hrobe významná slovenská intelektuálka" (in Slovak). Retrieved 7 October 2018.
{{cite news}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Jancura, Vladimír (16 May 2010). "Slovenské katyne si strážia svoje tajomstvá". Pravda (in Slovak). Retrieved 7 October 2018.
{{cite news}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help) - Schön, Jozef (16 March 2017). "Keď Slovák vraždil Slováka". Hnonline (in Slovak). Retrieved 7 October 2018.
{{cite news}}: Invalid|ref=harv(help)