a
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History
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Federation of Yugoslav Jews
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Jewish Museum of Belgrade
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Jews of Yugoslavia 1941 - 1945Victims of Genocide and Freedom Fighters,
By Jasa Romano
History
Federation of
Yugoslav Jews
Jewish Museum
of Belgrade
Yugoslav Jews in the Peoples’ Liberation War, 1941-1945
From the Exhibit Hall in the Jewish Museum of Belgrade
The Nazi occupying forces and their collaborators fell upon the Jews
with all their violence since the first months of the occupation of
Yugoslavia. They immediately started with the marking of Jews, the
restriction of their freedom of movement, their imprisonment, the
shooting of hostages and their deportation to camps of death.
Notwithstanding the most drastic measures taken against the Jews, more
than 4000 out of over 80,000 living in Yugoslavia in 1941 joined the
Peoples’ Liberation War and gave their contribution to the annihilation
of the enemy, the liberation of the country and the founding of
socialist Yugoslavia.
The occupying forces made particular efforts to kill right away all of
the Jews who were prominent revolutionaries, the pre-war members of the
Communist Party of Yugoslavia and the League of Communist Youth, and all
outstanding personalities in cultural and public life.
Complete data on all the fighters are not available since whole families
perished in the struggle or fell as victims of fascism, and not one
relative survived to give data about many a fighter.
Eleven National Heroes came from the ranks of the Yugoslav Jews. The
number of veterans was about 1,320. Communists were about 86. Political
Officers were 17, while 199 were in the medical corps and 2 were in the
veterinarian service. The exact number of Jewish women and youth who
fought is not precisely known.
Out of 4,572 Yugoslav Jews who fought in the Peoples’ Liberation War,
1,318 fell in struggle.
JEWS OF YUGOSLAVIA 1941 - 1945
VICTIMS OF GENOCIDE AND FREEDOM FIGHTERS
By Jasa Romano
(From the English summary in the book Jevreji Jugoslavije 1941-1945.
Zrtve Genocida I Ucesnici Narodnosloodilckog Rata, Belgrade: Federation
of Jewish Communities of Yugoslavia, 1980; pp. 573-590.)
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