Slovene Displaced Persons in the Independent State of Croatia

Abstract

The problem of the expelled Slovene population from the areas occupied by the Third Reich during World War II is present in Croatian, Slovene, and Serbian history, but is primarily linked to the emigration and expelling of the population of other ethnicities (mostly Serbian). This phase of Slovene history is not well-known to the broader public in Croatia. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to highlight the large number of Slovenes who survived World War II on the territory of Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina, i.e. then the territory of the Independent State of Croatia, which had different borders than Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina today. Papers on the topic of the Slovene population displaced to Croatia and Bosnia and Herzegovina often do not consider the cultural shock that the displaced persons suffered. Apart from describing the activities of the institutions that were legal and responsible for providing for the expelled Slovene population, this paper also presents individual cases that exemplify the difficult situation and problems faced by those expelled from Slovene lands.