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Lipej Kolenik was born on the 22.9.1925 in Margarethen near Bleiburg/Šmarjeta pri Pliberku. He had his first contact with partisans in spring 1943. He did courier jobs. In August 1943, he had to go to the Wehrmacht; firstly, to be trained, but soon he was transtered to Slovenia and in the end of 1943 to the Italian front. Here he got heavy frostbites on his feet and was moved to several military hospitals, in the end to Klagenfurt. On the occasion of a visit on the farm of his parents, he deserted to the partisans. He was active in various units. In March, he was severely wounded and witnessed the liberation hidden in a bunker, with hardly any medical support. After war he was unemployed and stayed politically active. He was repeatedly arrested and imprisoned. He is chairman of the Carinthian partisan association.
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team:
ERA - European Resistance Archive
latest clip entry:
17-06-2008 21:17
number of medias in topic:
12
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The revolt was beaten down within a few days, but they kept working until 1938, when we were linked to Germany.
The father, Wasilij, was still young. And he kept saying that, because of the National Socialism: “That will be no good.” but we mustn’t repeat what he said. Afterwards, the authority was taken over by the Nazis, they locked up a number of people of the Slovenian minority and priests and such, ... more |
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length: 4:20 min
| date: 17.06.2008
| video-hits: 264
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| Well, we had already heard before, in 1942, that the partisans were staying in our area. But the first contact was at Easter 1943 when the first partisans came and knocked at the door or the windows: “Mother, open! The partisans are here; the army of the Slovenian people. We will totally destroy fascism and you will be free once more.” Afterwards we had regular contact. We sang a song I will never forget as long as ... more |
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length: 1:24 min
| date: 17.06.2008
| video-hits: 192
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| Well, there were only few that weren’t with the partisans, very few. In the town there were more. Bleiburg is a known town and Carinthia was Nazi stronghold, but the population outside was of different opinion. And if they weren’t, well, there were only few, they did not report us to the police – kept quiet and did not keep in touch with us. But only about 10 % weren’t with us. |
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length: 0:44 min
| date: 17.06.2008
| video-hits: 109
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| In March 43 I had to go to the army physician because I had to enlist. But I already had connection to the partisans. They came every day. In August I received the call-up to the army. Then I said: “What shall we do?” They wanted me to enlist but the mother was against it. Mother was frightened: “they will destroy everything and burn our house down and so on” and she cried. But I thought that the families would ... more |
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length: 3:17 min
| date: 17.06.2008
| video-hits: 990
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| So, I went home for 14 days. On the first evening the partisans, acquaintances were already there. After 14 days the holiday was over. “Well, what are we going to do, mother?” My mother was crying again: she sprinkled me with holy water and things like that. “Mother, that doesn’t help! I will not go back to the ones that sentenced us to death.” So I went and the commander of the partisans said: “We will come and ... more |
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length: 3:17 min
| date: 17.06.2008
| video-hits: 82
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| With the partisans - life was slightly different than before. That is why you say nowadays: “Not everybody had the opportunity to join them.” But many would have had an opportunity but didn’t risk it. I was not fit to work for the front any more. For me there would have probably been a job and I could have worked and so on. But I didn’t want to. I could not share the responsibility to work with the ones that ... more |
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length: 1:53 min
| date: 17.06.2008
| video-hits: 168
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| First I was allocated to the couriers, the news unit – for a while, there. Afterwards I was with the sabotage units. There we blew up bridges, telephone masts and things like that. Afterwards I was in a battalion, there were 300 men together. That was slightly different. When a few men came, because of the food there were problems. But once 200/300 people are together that was slightly different for the food. ... more |
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length: 1:38 min
| date: 17.06.2008
| video-hits: 98
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| When you compare the time of those days - and today, and see the way it was organised - that was wonderful. From home the news went to the neighbour; from the neighbour to somebody else and so on. A few hours before the police came – let’s say – from Bleiburg to go on the hunt for partisans – or bandits – as they said, we already knew. And it was agreed that a red flag on a house would indicate danger; a white ... more |
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length: 1:06 min
| date: 17.06.2008
| video-hits: 53
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| Most of the young people took a lot of the responsibility. The police did not control the children quite as strictly as the older people. The little children used to carry the mail for us and so on. And they informed us as well when somebody was wounded. |
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length: 0:34 min
| date: 17.06.2008
| video-hits: 130
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| The women were really poor, I would say. Because they had to really pay for this, more than the others. But – I must say that as well – they were really brave women. Some were braver than the men. Three of those women I really took into my heart so I will never forget them. They had no fears. If there was any returned shooting they shot just the same as the others. But some were – I don’t know what to say - ... more |
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length: 3:13 min
| date: 17.06.2008
| video-hits: 151
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| Well, I had been looking forward to the day when the war would be over, before. But unfortunately I was wounded. My brother was with the partisans, as well. He came with a horse and took me home. And he came into the shack. The horse came first and then the man. “Who is coming into the forest now?” And then he came and said: “Lipej, come on. The war is over!” We did not believe him that it was really true; that ... more |
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length: 3:15 min
| date: 17.06.2008
| video-hits: 316
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| The main Nazis, they hid away; took shelter somewhere. Back then, when the partisans were there. Some of them came back out of their holes the end of May and for a while they were like Stasi (secret police of East Germany), you could say. Again, as time went on they showed themselves as what they were; that they were Nazis. And that told us that they believed us to be the betrayers; and even today the word ... more |
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length: 3:17 min
| date: 17.06.2008
| video-hits: 217
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