Original scientific paper
»Stations of the Cross« at Bleiburg - Return through Podravina
Martina Grahek Ravančić
; Croatian Institute of History, Zagreb, Croatia
Abstract
Bleiburg and »stations of the cross« is one of the complex issues of recent Croatian history. It presents an open issue still point out to the ending of the Second World War.. there are many factual dilemmas, requiring answers and makes us face the limits of historians’ work. some archives being unavailable, some non-existing, some documents lacking, all this forces us to turn to memories, with wide (almost incomprehensively large) range adds up to difficulty of the task. Based on published memoirs, publications and historiography, the paper analyzes events that had happened at the end of the World War Two. In chronological order the paper follows collapse of so-called Independent State of Croatia (NDH) and coming of the new regime. Furthermore, the paper analyzes NDH armies retreat (its organization, the course and directions) of large numbers of troops and civilians toward the Western Allies stationed in Styria, Austria. The paper deals with the most important segments of truce negotiations held at Bleiburg castle and surrender the captured columns, and their long walk back home.
Keywords
Bleiburg; stations of the cross; victims; deportation; and concentration camps; Podravina
Hrčak ID:
78034
URI
Publication date:
1.6.2008.
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