1. What Kind of Atmosphere Was There Before the Second World War?

1. What kind of atmosphere was there before the second world war?

Before the second world war I used to live in the village Novaki near cerkno. The whole territory of the Primorska region belonged to Italy at that time. The Slovenians were oppressed, Slovenian could not be spoken and books and literature with Slovenian topics could only be obtained illegaly. The Italians wanted to deprive the Slovenians in this part of Europe of their national rights.

2. What was life like in that pariod?

People made a living mostly with farming and agriculture because there was no possibility to get a job being a Slovenian and therefore oppressed by the Italians. In our family there were seven children. Life was hard, but we managed to survive with agriculture and cattle breeding. We didn't like going to school because we were taught by Italian teachers who couldn't speak Slovenian and demanded that only Italian should be spoken at school. Slovene was only spoken at home and Slovene books were acquired in illegal ways so that we could get an education. After primary school it wasn't possible to continue the education so I got an employment with the local blacksmith, master Janez, since I was skilled in this kind of work.

3. Where were you during the attack on Yugoslavia?

During the time of the attack on Yugoslavia I was in my native village Novaki. We had just finished primary school, there was no possibility to continue due to the war and there were also no jobs available so I stayed at home and worked at the blacksmith's workshop.

4. How did you come in contact woth the partisans?

At the workshop master Janez and I had been repairing weapons of all sorts since the beginning of the war. These weapons were brouhgt to the master by the partisans whom I had never seen until then. It was a job of great secrecy and the master trusted me. I first came into contact with the partisans in 1942 when master Janez and I went to the nearby woods for a few days where we were to make a charcoal pile to get the charcoal for our work. During the work in the forest two partisans, who knew master Janez, approached us in order to discuss the taking over of arms and his joining the partisans. After the departure of master Janez I didn't work as a blacksmith any longer.

5. What was the life of a partisan like?

Between the years 1942 and 1944 I was a member of the youth organization in the area around Cerkno, which was considered liberated territory for the whole time, but there was always tension since the brigades came and went and you never knew when the Germans might arrive. During this period I collaborated in the construction of the partisan hospital Franja. When Italy capitulated we would gather the weapons that the retreating Italian army had left behind, we would hide it and later transport it to the partisan units. In 1944 I joined the Gradnik Brigade, which was a section of the 9th corps (IX. Korpus) and was at that time stationed on the Banjščice plain (Bajnška planota) and Trnovo forest (Trnovski gozd). During that time I was a machine gunner and was involved in many battles during the German offensive, whose purpose was to destroy the partisans in this area. The life of a partisan was hard. Due to the constant battles we suffered from hunger and cold. The local people halped as much as they could since they were on our side in the battle against the tyranny of the occupator. At the very end of the war I was hurt in a battle so I stayed in the hospital, which was situated near my native village. During the time of my recovery the war ended so I stayed at home.

6. What was your life like after the war?

After the war I joined the local police force and became a police officer. My job was hard since there were still enemies on the Slovenian territory that didn't agree with the defeat in the war and tried to undermine the current regulation. These people were then sought and fought during those years, we risked our lives carrying out of these task. I got used to this kind of work which I did until I retired.

7. Do you feel that any kind of war was justified in this period?

The war of the aggressor and his collaborators was certainly no justifiable. But our struggle against the aggressor was just since we were fighting for our land and Slovenian language. If we hadn't rebelled against the occupation then, we would have been wiped out from the face of the Earth. The national liberation fight was the only way in which we could ensure our existance.

8. How do you see the current unification of Europe?

I percieve it as positive and I feel that it is currently the only possible way of coming together in the European Union. But we should be careful in order not to be trampled over or used by nations bigger that ours, since we are a small nation but – as history has proved – one to reckon with.

9. Do you find the unififcation of the countires, the formation of a common European identity positive and why?

I find the coming together of the countries into the European Union positive. I feel that it is only possibile to join an economical and political union because the country on its own, outside the community would have little chance of survival. There seem to be no problems in the European Union, the problems appear in our country when we fight and divide into parties instead of taking a united front on the common European path for the benefit of Slovenia. I as a partisan fought also for the equality our our country.