Churches and Chapels in Kočevje/Gottschee. - John Tschinkel

[Forum 2002 - 2013]

Beitrag von Forum 2002 - 2013 » Do 24. Apr 2014, 18:25

Abgeschickt von John Tschinkel am 11 Dezember, 2003 um 21:54:08:

Churches and Chapels in Kočevje / Gottschee.

With the exodus in the Winter of 1941/42, the Gottscheer abandoned 92 churches and 29 chapels, built and used by their ancestors over many centuries. Also abandoned were church related contents, buildings and properties such as parish houses and cemeteries.

All religious buildings and related items became the responsibility of a Cultural Commission, part of the Resettlement Authority of the Reich. Those resettling had no part or say in this! The issue was to be resolved in line with the directives of the "Resettlement Contract" the Germans had with the Italian occupying authority. Nothing came of it; all parties lost interest after the resettlement was completed !!

After the exodus, the empty villages became an open range for the many and severe battles between the various forces of all sides, the Italian occupier, the Blue Guards (Slovene royalists), the Partisans (communists), the Domobranci (Slovene allied with the German occupier) and after 1943, also the German occupier.

In these battles many of the empty villages were completely destroyed. The churches and chapels throughout the enclave fared as follows:

Churches, out of a total of: (92)
War damaged, not rebuilt, ruins removed: (37)
Decayed after 1941, ruins removed: (10)
Still used today as a church: (26)
Standing, but used for non-religious purpose: (3)
Survived war, torn down by communist government: (16)

Chapels, out of a total of : (29)
War damaged, not rebuilt and the ruins removed: (12)
Decayed after 1941, ruins removed: (4)
Still used today as a chapel: (2)
Standing, but used for non-religious purpose: (1)
Survived war, torn down by communist government: (10)

Ferenc states the census of 1948 shows 83 Gottscheer villages completely empty. He also states that the churches and chapels pulled down by the Communists (26) were part of an ideology driven plan to remove religious buildings in empty settlements. This was done in the 1954-1956 period and mostly in the "forbidden zone" surrounding Rieg. Only one church was removed as part of this plan later. This was the church in Moos which was not used since 1941, had decayed and was pulled down in 1965.

The details on each Church and Chapel are in the professionally unbiased book by Dr. Mitja Ferenc, a Slovene Historian and son of the distinguished Dr. Tone Ferenc. The elder Ferenc, was another Slovene Historian who reported, also impartially, on the events in Slovenia during the WW II.

He died recently.

[Forum 2002 - 2013]

Beitrag von Forum 2002 - 2013 » Do 24. Apr 2014, 18:26

Abgeschickt von Dr. Albert Ruppe am 09 Dezember, 2003 um 15:41:26:

Is there anybody who can publish a list of our churches, chapels and cemeteries, which have been destroyed by the communist government?
As I know, the last outrage was in 1966.
Albert Ruppe

[Forum 2002 - 2013]

Beitrag von Forum 2002 - 2013 » Do 24. Apr 2014, 18:26

Abgeschickt von Dr. Albert Ruppe am 09 Dezember, 2003 um 15:26:20:

Kann bitte jemand eine Liste unserer von den kommunistischen Machthabern zerstörten Kirchen, Kapellen und Friedhöfe im Forum veröffentlichen.
Meines Wissens hat sich die letzte derartige Freveltat 1966 ereignet.
Albert Ruppe

[Forum 2002 - 2013]

Beitrag von Forum 2002 - 2013 » Do 24. Apr 2014, 18:27

Abgeschickt von John Tschinkel am 10 Dezember, 2003 um 00:26:13:

Antwort auf: zerstörte Kirchen von Dr. Albert Ruppe am 09 Dezember, 2003 um 15:26:20:


Lieber Dr. Ruppe,

Sie finden das erwünschte im "Das Verlorene Kulturerbe der Gottscheer Deutschen" ein Buch von Mitja Ferenc, herausgegeben vom Staatsministerium für Kultur, Slowenien. Das Buch (auf Slowenisch und Deutsch) enthält ein vollkommenes Verzeichnis aller Kirchen in der Sprachinsel; deren Schicksal, deren heutiger Zustand oder wann zerstört und von wem.

Weiteres finden Sie unter "Mitja Ferenc" in Google. Falls notwendig oder erwünscht (e-mail) sende ich Ihnen gerne eine Kopie der betreffenden Seiten des Buches durch die Post.

John Tschinkel