Pečovnik Mine

Pečovnik Mine is a defunct coal mine near Pečovnik, Slovenia. It is infamous as a mass grave and crime scene where Yugoslav Partisans killed 12,000 Croats by forcing them into the mine and covering them with concrete in 1945.[1][2][3]

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During World War II, the mine worked under the direction of Germans.[1] After the defeat of Third Reich in 1945, Yugoslav partisans captured the mine. Shortly afterward, Josip Broz Tito ordered the Yugoslav Army to close it, although the local community argued that mine still had plenty of coal and was not ready to be closed. Before the mine was closed with concrete on 8-9 May 1945, partisans forced 12,000 Croats to enter it, including 2,000 women and children.[2] The next day, the partisans closed the mine, leaving them underground to die from choking, dehydration, or hunger.[1][2]

Some local Slovenes were arrested and prosecuted for reportedly giving testimony about the Pečovnik and Matjaževa pits to international journalists.[3]

Roman Leljak, with group of archeologists and historians, made the first investigations and archaeological excavations of victims in the early 1990s. They were supported and financed by the Croatian government until 2000.[4]

See also

References
  1. Domagoj Madžar. "Pečovnik Mine - where over 12,000 Croats were buried alive in concrete", dnevno.hr, 19 February 2016; accessdate 1 May 2016.(in Croatian)
  2. Roman Leljak, "In Pečovnik Minse was killed 12.000 Croats, [including 2.000 women and children"], komunistickizlocini.net, 24 February 2016; accessed 1 May 2016 (in Croatian)
  3. Janez Črnej, ognjišće.si "Witness of the horrible yugoslav crime against Croats in Pečovnik Mine", oddaje.ognjisce.si, 23 January 2016; accessed 2 May 2016.(in Slovene)
  4. Tomislav Vuković, "Croats - nation of stolen history", hkv.hr, 28 October 2012; accessed 1 May 2016.(in Croatian)

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