Base 20

Places of Interest - Slovenia

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introduction

Located in one of the most beautiful and impressive areas of Slovenia (Kocevski Rog) lies the old partisan headquarters built in WWII. The forest consisting of no less than six virgin forests is filled with ancient trees, karst-rocks and many wild animals already far extinct in other parts of Europe. In addition to the largest brown boar population in Europe, wild boars, badgers, lynxes, wild cats and wolves still live here.

The construction of the Partisan-base began no later than April 1943 and at one point consisted of 26 buildings including hospitals, bunkers, work-rooms and a small printing-house. First the Italians, later the Nazis have tried several times to discover the Partisans and their hiding places, but these turned out to be in vain.

highlights

Base 20:

One of the most important headquarters during WWII of the Yugoslav Partisans was located in this complex in the nature park Kocevski Rog near the Croatian border. It contains among other buildings hospitals, a printing house, many workrooms and, of course, sleeping places for members of the Communist organization and the army.

From the first barrack, which was built in April 1943, a total of 26 were built and the other important people stayed here until 19 December 1944. Then they moved to the city Crnomelj.

A number of barracks are open with a small exposition in barracks no. 16 and 22 where newspaper-pieces hang with brochures, posters, photographs and other (information) material on the wall. In other barracks you can see the wooden bunkbeds, the cupboards, the shelves while others are not worth the trouble to get in because it’s only rubble. On the buildings there are small signs with the number of the barracks and what the function was.

About 500 meters away in the forest you can take a look at bunker 44 - currently in restoration. Equipped with new roofs it’s located about 2 kilometers away from the other barracks. This is also called the Partisanen hospital "Jelend" (or Zgornij Hrastnik) – and was one of about 20 hospitals in this region and where doctors without running water, without electricity and with much too few resources helped severely injured Partisans.

Later in the caves, in the summer of 1945, when the members of the right-wing groups (including the Domobranci) were pushed back to the Austrian border (by among the British) countless executions found place. Recently, investigations have been conducted into these war crimes.

history

When the AX-countries invaded former Yugoslavia in April 1941, in the region Kocevski Rog mainly German settlers lived. When it became clear that this part of Slovenia would come under Italian rule, this German-origin population left the area. The Italians burned everything and the area was uninhabitable - a perfect place for resistance fighters. The first group of Partisans took possession of the area no later than August 1941.

In May 1942, when a larger area was considered "safe", the region became the center of the resistance and the Revolution. Until the end of the month of August in 1942 the leaders of the partisan movement were quartered in a hamlet around Novi Breg. During the great Italian offensive in the summer of 1942 they fled to the Dolomite hills near Polhov Gradec; but it had already been decided to return to "Rog" when the storm blew over.

In April 1943, the Partisans returned to the area but now what has called Base 20 and the nearby Base 21 where the Slovenian partisans lived and the military leaders (among others the general staff of the National Liberation Front) stayed. For a very short period they sat in the castle in "Soteska". Six months later (October 1943) the Nazis began a heavy offensive in the Rog area.

They found a number of empty hospitals and depots that put them directly on the spot. In Pugled the Germans found a number of wounded partisans in a hospital that were directly executed. In addition to the expansion of "Base 20", other "bases" were also built (15, 15a, 80, 80a) that included a total National organization that had to take control immediately after the war.

Almost at the end of the war, the German army launched a second major offensive in the Rog area to return back again empty-handed. Many members of right-wing Yugoslav groups wanted to escape at the end of the war. They were stopped by the British on the Austrian border and sent back to Yugoslavia. Thousands, perhaps hundreds of thousands, were slaughtered and thrown into the deep gorges and caves in the Kocevski Rog region.

A major renovation at the barracks in Base 20 was started in the 1950s as well as in 1990. With the roof usually being replaced, the original state is kept in tact as much as possible. At the moment (2013), most roofs have been replaced again (once every 11 years).

tips & advice (2013)

To my knowledge, there is no public transport here at all. I've hitchhiked to and from here. It is about 7 km from the first village Podturn but uphill. At the first (empty) large parking lot is the basis.

From here it is still 2.2 km to the hospital and about half a kilometer to the base. On the other side of the hill you can also walk back (here is a gravel path) and here is bunker 44 and the partisan hospital.

Name: Wild camping spot Base 20

Content:

In Kocevski Rog park there are numerous places where you can camp wildly. Disadvantage is the many stones and rocks in the area. I myself slept on the ledge next to the pit (where the oldest wooden house of the partisan base was built). There is a small spot for a 1 person tent where you can sleep among the big cart clots.

From here you have a beautiful view of the barracks of the partisans and you are safe because of the high ridge and the fact that you see and hear everyone coming from here. Nobody will come to this place, or you have to know. You have been warned - you are miles away from the civilized world, it is pitch dark at night and I have never slept in a more lively forest than here.

There are wild animals in the forest and I advise you to put away any scent (deodorant, sunscreen, toothpaste and of course your food) in a tree because of bears. Treat the place with respect for the people who have lived and lived here.

If you are interested in WWII and/or the resistance fighters in this world war this is a must - you have to do the work yourself or you can contact this people and arrange a tour in the former Partisan complex.

Phone nr. : 386 7373 11 30, 386 7373 11 12
Website: www.dolmuzej.com