Mayors of villages and settlements burned down during WW2 take over medals
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- Date: 23.01.2020
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Defence Minister Peter Gajdoš and General Secretary of the SVK Ministry of Defence Ján Hoľko today visited the Slovak National Uprising (SNP) Museum in Banská Bystrica to present medals to 108 villages and settlements burned down in Slovakia during WW2. Another 35 SNP personalities were also awarded the 75th SNP Anniversary and End of WW2 Commemorative Medal.
In his statement, Defence Minister Peter Gajdoš said: “The aim of today’s event was, on the occasion of the recent 75th anniversary of the Slovak National Uprising, to symbolically award the villages whose residents lived through the cruelty of war in a most dreadful and horrifying manner.” He went on to underline that “it is important to speak about such happenings and remember them even today, so that the young generation can form their own opinion about them and resist the intensifying ideas of extremism.”
Calling on the mayors of the awarded villages to raise awareness within their communities about fascism being a very dangerous ideology, General Secretary of the SVK Ministry of Defence Ján Hoľko said: “I myself come from the village of Košarovce, it is among the villages awarded today, because its residents too experienced the bestiality of Nazism in its most cruel form, when it was burned down by Nazis. For this reason, I perceive the events with greater sensitivity, because I know them from the stories of my parents as well. And my message to all people is that it is our duty to fight extremism in any of its forms and in all circumstances.”
Nazi occupation forces burned down a total of 111 villages and settlements in Slovakia. Nazi repercussions claimed 5,304 victims who were buried in 211 mass graves. Over 80,000 people were deported on racial grounds and for different forms of anti-Nazi resistance from Slovakia to concentration camps in the years 1939 – 1945. Of them, nearly 70,000 lost their lives.
In his statement, Defence Minister Peter Gajdoš said: “The aim of today’s event was, on the occasion of the recent 75th anniversary of the Slovak National Uprising, to symbolically award the villages whose residents lived through the cruelty of war in a most dreadful and horrifying manner.” He went on to underline that “it is important to speak about such happenings and remember them even today, so that the young generation can form their own opinion about them and resist the intensifying ideas of extremism.”
Calling on the mayors of the awarded villages to raise awareness within their communities about fascism being a very dangerous ideology, General Secretary of the SVK Ministry of Defence Ján Hoľko said: “I myself come from the village of Košarovce, it is among the villages awarded today, because its residents too experienced the bestiality of Nazism in its most cruel form, when it was burned down by Nazis. For this reason, I perceive the events with greater sensitivity, because I know them from the stories of my parents as well. And my message to all people is that it is our duty to fight extremism in any of its forms and in all circumstances.”
Nazi occupation forces burned down a total of 111 villages and settlements in Slovakia. Nazi repercussions claimed 5,304 victims who were buried in 211 mass graves. Over 80,000 people were deported on racial grounds and for different forms of anti-Nazi resistance from Slovakia to concentration camps in the years 1939 – 1945. Of them, nearly 70,000 lost their lives.
