Yugoslavia Spomenica

[wlodzimierz]

Gents,

there is another document, this time, it is document which was issued for fallen fighters, probably given to the remaining family.

What was the reason for issuing of such documents?

These documents have serial number printed on the bottom part of document. What was the reason for printing of such s/n?

Has this document entitled the family of fallen fighters to privileges or some kind of state benefits?

w

[wlodzimierz]

Spomenica

[Befehl227]

Looks like the signature of Aleksandar Rankovic (on the left side)!

[Befehl227]

[wlodzimierz]

Great Befehl227,

Now we have two different types of such document. Do you know what the text on this Spomenica exactly means?

w.

[Bryan]

Nice document with heavy propaganda connotation! I suppose these are huge document? :unsure:

[leigh kitchen]

Presumably the serial number was to allow verification of the document, simply for proof of authentisity re the deceased person or because there were financial or other benefits such as preferential treatment re transport, housing etc to be gained from being next of kin of a fallen fighter?

[wlodzimierz]

Generally the family of a bearer of Order of National Hero and Partisanska Spomenica had rights for certain state privileges (defined in statute of these decorations). In case of first Spomenica I could imagine that this person alive would get Partisanska Spomenica after the war. But of course the good question is: how the family of fallen fighter could prove their rights to state's priviledges.

It was my assumption that this first spomenica is a kind of entitelment to state's benefits. But it is at the moment only assumption. We have to check it.

The next question is what purpose had the other spomenica or wat is the difference between these two documents?

Do we have any other similiar documents?

w.

[sebastian]

I have in my collection one in Slovenian language.

[wlodzimierz]

Great sebastian , now we know that these documents are obviously issued in four languages (Croatia, Montenegro, Serbia, Slovenia).

It would be great to see these documents in other languages.

Thank you sebastian

w.

[sebastian]

It seems that there we have in general two different groups of those documents.

In first group I will put wlodzimierz's and mine. They are issued by the federal Union of war veterans ? ex partisans. As we can see, they also have Yugoslavian coat of arms and signature of Tito and Rankovic. As wlodzimierz already said, they were issued for fallen.

But I see the distinction with the Befehl227's document. On wlodzimierz's and mine states that they were issued for those who joined comunist party of Yugoslavia in battle against occupants and their helpers (accessories). On the other hand, on the Befehl227's document states only that it was issued for the victim of occupant's terror who lost his live. And there is another important difference. The Befehl227's document was issued by the Union of war veterans of the republic of Bosnia and Hercegovina (in former Yugoslavia there were six federal units ? republics). It also has the coat of arms of that federal unit (not coat of arms of Yugoslavia). And it was not signed by Tito and Rankovic, but by representatives of that federal unit.

Here I posted another document which belongs to my colleague.

I will put it in the second group together with Befehl227's document. It has the same design, it was issued by the Union of war veterans of the one of yugoslavian federal unit (in that case it was Slovenia ? see the coat of arms printed on the top of that document) and there states that it was issued to Anton Lisac, who lost his life as the victim of occupant's terror. His story is: he was deported by Italians to the camp on the Rab island in Adriatic sea where he died.

So, my conclusion is, that there we have two diferent groups of those documents. Maybe we can say that the documents from the first group were issued to fallen combatants and the documents from the second group were issued to non-combatants, who lost their lives as occupant's victims. And in every group there are documents written in different languages (Slovenian, Croatian or Serbocroatian and we must mention also Macedonian) and also in different writing: latin or cyrilic.

I know that my English is not perfect and that someone will find better translation of the text on those documents, but I hope that you will understand what I was talking about.

Regards.

[wlodzimierz]

Nice document with heavy propaganda connotation! I suppose these are huge document?

Bryan, you are right, my document has 34,5 x 25 cm.

Propaganda? : it is written in a style to underline the importance of fallen fighters and his bravery acts.

It is propaganda, but propaganda is everywhere and now it is hidden behind Marketing.

There is no Mass media without propaganda (free market, free forces of market,... all propaganda).

It would be fine to have exact translation of this text. I like this 'sozrealismus' style, where working people are glorified.

w.

[wlodzimierz]

So, my conclusion is, that there we have two diferent groups of those documents. Maybe we can say that the documents from the first group were issued to fallen combatants and the documents from the second group were issued to non-combatants, who lost their lives as occupant's victims. And in every group there are documents written in different languages (Slovenian, Croatian or Serbocroatian and we must mention also Macedonian) and also in different writing: latin or cyrilic.

Excellent observation , I think that your categorization is right (taking as a basis current knowledge).

Who knows what documents we will see next?

Your English is excellent, you could be proud of it.

Thank you sebastian

w.

[Bryan]

Bryan, you are right, my document has 34,5 x 25 cm.

Propaganda? : it is written in a style to underline the importance of fallen fighters and his bravery acts.

Maybe I shouldn't have used that term. Maybe I should have said that the drawing on your document is a nice exemple of "Socialist realism". ;)

[Valter]

There were two groups of these documents indeed: for the "fallen fighters", which includes also non-combatant members of partisan units (i.e. medics), and the other type for "victims of fashist terror", which includes those (civilians) killed by occuaption forces and collaborationists, those who died/were killed in concentration camps (like Sebastians 2nd one), died in prisons etc.

see: Švajncer, Odlikovanja in znaki na Slovenskem, 1978 (in Slovenian only, with short summary in german, russian and english)

I'm not sure what if a partisan fighter was captured and later died in concentration camp, but he would probably go into 2nd cathegory.

These documents were given to families of the fallen / dead. There were no official benefits linked to this "spomenica", but there were certain benefits and social allowances available for both survived partisan fighters and resistance members, as well as families of those fallen/died. As a matter of interest, there were several categories of disabled (invalids) in former YU: "military war invalids" (wounded partisan fighters), "civil war invalids" (civilians wounded by bombing etc., or after the war by unexploded war remains), "military peaceful invalids" and all the others; as you probably guessed, the first cathegory got the best treatment and more rights than others. As far as I know, this document was not necessary for getting these rights, as there were other (more humble) papers and ID's, but these "spomenica's" were intended to be put on the wall - you often find these framed and or (unfortunately) stained/faded from being exhibited for a long time.

Regards, Valter

[wlodzimierz]

see: Švajncer, Odlikovanja in znaki na Slovenskem, 1978 (in Slovenian only, with short summary in german, russian and english)

Welcome in our sub forum Valter, thank you for this excellent feedback. I'm looking for that book.

You raised interesting topic which is for me not yet 100% clear. The fallen fighter who started to fight in 1941 had a right to get Partisanska Spomenica 1941, some state privileges were given to bearer of this decoration and his family. Just after the war till April 15, 1964 the members of the family of fallen and posthumously awarded were not allowed to get this award and documents. Afterward it was changed, but till 1964 the family on one side had a right to some benefits and on the other side how could the memebers of family confirm they rights to this benefits. I think that they were given some kind of document which confirms thair rights. Therefore I thought that this spomenica for fallen fighter is such document.

regards w.

[Valter]

Welcome in our sub forum Valter, thank you for this excellent feedback. I'm looking for that book.

You raised interesting topic which is for me not yet 100% clear. The fallen fighter who started to fight in 1941 had a right to get Partisanska Spomenica 1941, some state privileges were given to bearer of this decoration and his family. Just after the war till April 15, 1964 the members of the family of fallen and posthumously awarded were not allowed to get this award and documents. Afterward it was changed, but till 1964 the family on one side had a right to some benefits and on the other side how could the memebers of family confirm they rights to this benefits. I think that they were given some kind of document which confirms thair rights. Therefore I thought that this spomenica for fallen fighter is such document.

regards w.

Hello Wlodzimierz,

it is a bit confusing, yes

There are two different "spomenica's" (Spomenica means a memorial sign or document, but also an (usually written) proclamation of an important event, official statement...) the first is "Partizanska spomenica 1941". That's a badge, decoration (although not oficially in the sistem of state awards (orders and decorations)) and this gets only to those who were partisans since 1941. With this spomenica, there's also certain formal documents (booklets). I don't have one, so I can't show the picture, but there are two documents on e-bay

http://cgi.ebay.de/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=120413734526&ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT

one is late-yugoslav period (late 80's) and the other is post- SFRJ period, from Federal republic of Yugoslavia. There are many variatouns of these documents. This type of document was a proof for the Spomenica bearers rights and privileges (also for the families).

How to get Spomenica 1941 is a long story . For new (yugoslav) type of spomenica's, it had to be proven that one was a partisan or resistance member since 1941 (yes, spomenica was not only for fighters in woods, but also for some armed members of resistance on the occupied territory), usually with 2 or 3 witnesses. There were some cases of abuse and unjustice, but not many and therefore Spomenica 1941 was (and still is, among those who still respect anti-faschist resistance) very highly respected decoration. There were some cases of injustice that someone, who had to get one, didn't get it due to some post-war political reason (or only personal dislike by some prominent politician), and vice versa - there were people who got it but were nowhere near resistance in 1941 (an anecdote says there was a guy in Montenegro who got spomenica 1941 despite he was born in 1948!).

Spomenica for the fallen/victims of fascism (a decorative paper document as shown in this thread) is something completely different and nothing directly connected with Spomenica 1941. As I explaned before, this document was given to families of fallen/dead, no matter where/when they ended their lives.

If you need more information, I can try to find some legal resources.

The book you're looking for is long out of print, but maybe I can help (send me PM)

regards, Valter