Bolnica Celje - Center and Memorial Plaque on Trački Planina

On the site of 1944, active Celje hospital had reconstructed wooden barracks with a memorial exhibition and a memorial plaque. Nearby, an arranged cemetery. Arrangement May 1959.

The hospital was built in spring 1944 by a team from Dolenjska, led by Dr. Peter Držaj, political commissar Šime Oblak and intendant Polda Travner. It consisted of two barracks: Reko and Podstrešek or Potok. Reka had in the guest fir forest six buildings: an operating barrack, an administrative barrack, a kitchen, a barrack for hospital staff and two barracks for the wounded. Ten minutes away (approximately 250 m) were the cemetery and after the hospital was issued, a grave for the most severely wounded. Potok was a place to walk to. Hospital Reka operated until spring 1945, when it was discovered by the enemy.* Hospital was called SVBP Celje or Center (Slovenian partisan hospital). In the hospital were the following staff: for Držaj, Dr. Virgril Krasnik, Dr. Dušan Šober, Dr. Robert Kukovec (17.2.1910 - 13.4.1945) came to Ljubno after the liberation of Zg. Savinjska dolina and worked with his surgical team at the farmer Kolencu. After the attack on Ljubno, he together with his instrument woman Lili went to the hospital. There he started writing his diary, which was preserved by his courier and hospital worker Franc Juvan - Falentov. The diary ended on 12.3.1945, when the Germans surprised Kukovec and arrested him at the farmer Tratniku. At that time, the staff had already evacuated the hospital and the wounded were moved. Ten of the most severely injured and immobile wounded, with hospital workers and a cook, were hidden in the grave ten minutes away. Unfortunately, the Germans found them and shot them. Hospital staff was accommodated after the evacuation at the farmer Planincu**
At the initiative of ZB NOV Ljubno, between 1982 - 1984 under the leadership of construction leader Jurij Kladnik, a memorial monument made of wood and glass was erected. The construction elements and the barrack were erected by the then company Vegrad Ljubno. The author of the design was architect Dane Jagrič, who did everything for free.

Sources: *Jurij Kladnik from Ljubno, construction leader of the monument in Tračka planina **Stane Terčak, Partisan Hospital Celje, Dnevnik dr. Kukovca, Planinski vestnik 9, 1956, p. 455-464 and Planinski vestnik 8, 1956, p. 401-408, KO for values NOB Ljubno ob Savinji

EŠD 4564

NOB Zg. Savinjska dolina

Monuments of our revolution, Ljubljana: Mladinska knjiga, 1961, p. 201.

Addition by Mojca Luštrek 27. 10. 2025:

It is also unknown whether the site has changed since the entry in 2018, but we both encountered the correct memorial complex, and it is no longer in the best condition. Besides the reconstructed operating barrack, symbolically represented with a wooden frame are also others. Most of them have also plaques with inscriptions, indicating what they represent. Among them are arranged panels with images and information about the hospital, as well as with a larger part of the diary of its last leader Robert Kukovec. During our visit, the operating barrack was locked.
We both also found online the naming of the main hospital Reka and the podstrešek Potok. But strangely, Kukovec never mentions these names. Also in other writings, which seem credible, we did not find them.

Search keyword for related monuments: Bolnica123 /no_think