Original scientific paper
FORCED MIGRATIONS OF JEWISH POPULATION IN INDEPENDENT STATE OF CROATIA
Marica KARAKAŠ OBRADOV
Abstract
Because of the persecution of Jewish population in the Independent State of Croatia many Jews tried to find asylum on the Adriatic coast that was partly annexed, and partly occupied, by the Kingdom of Italy. Some Jewish refugees from ISC moved even to the Apennine
peninsula, occupied parts of Slovenia (province of Ljubljana), Montenegro and Albania. By the same token, Jewish refugees fled also to Hungary, Bulgaria, Switzerland, Portugal, Spain and Turkey, since they hoped that in these countries they would be able to find a safe passage to overseas destinations – primarily United States of America and Palestine. Jews fled from Croatia in various ways. Sometimes they could pay all the imposed taxes that were a product of discriminating racial policy of ISC, and afterwards they would be able to legally buy necessary passes to leave the country. However, more often Jews had to buy such documents illegally with fake names, often at unreasonably high prices. Exceptionally, there were cases when some state or church officials intervened on behalf a certain Jewish family and then such lucky ones could escape. In the Kingdom of Italy these Jewish refugees were kept in, so called, free interment, detention camps, some hotels and other objects that were accommodated for such purposes. Such protective regime toward Jewish population was in accordance with fascistic policy that had underprivileged all the Jews but such policy did not include prosecution and annihilation of them. During their life in exile Jews from Yugoslavia were supported by international Jewish organizations, but also by Yugoslav government in exile and some representatives of the Catholic Church.
Keywords
World War II; Jews; Independent State of Croatia; Kingdom of Italy; Catholic Church; exiled government of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia; refugees
Hrčak ID:
116108
URI
Publication date:
19.12.2013.
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