Brezina - Establishment of the Brežiška Party

The Milavčev family lived in the watchtower and the group joined the father Franc and three sons Ivan, Albin and Marjan. The group consisted of 11 fighters. Due to an exceptionally impactful and brave solution of four activists from the OF from the Sevnica Gestapo prisons, they also joined the group. In the operation, besides the commander Kvedra, Ivan Milavec and Franc Sinkovič also participated. The group carried out several brave actions, including the requisition of property of the relocated Kočevar family, burning of properties for the liquidation of the Gestapo agent. The most impactful was the destruction of the bridge between Brestanica and Blanco on 4 November. The Milavec brothers already on 13 September destroyed the railway viaduct near Vidm and stopped traffic for the entire 8 hours, which was the first diversion action in Posavje on the Zidani Most - Zagreb railway line.

The informant showed the occupiers' police the group's residence in the Kunejevi building in Gorjane near Podsreda. The surrounded group withdrew after a two-hour battle; 4 fighters fell in battle, 11 were captured by the German police. On 27 December they were shot as partisans in Maribor. On 4th, the commander Kveder, the commissioner Janhuba and the fighter Žener, at the property of Kunej, planned the battle action for the following day, while the father Milavec silently observed the battle from the neighbouring hill and unnecessarily carried food for the group.

Unfortunately, the Brežiška group was active only for a month. However, its actions, the courage and bravery of its fighters inspired the spirit of resistance among our people, at the same time causing unrest among the occupiers' troops, fear among the relocated Kočevar family and concern among the Nazi leaders, who despite the terrible terror, shooting of partisans, imprisonment and deportation, failed to "make this country German again", as Nazi leader Hitler demanded on 30 April 1941 in Maribor.

The Brežiška group set fire to the committee in Posavje, therefore the memory of its fighters will never fade and they will never be forgotten.

Source: ŠENTJANŽ 1941 -2021, M.Gorjanc,Šentjanž, ZB for values NOB Sevnica and KS Šentjanž on the 80th anniversary, October 2021

Discovery date 1961. Installed by the municipal committee ZB Brežice.

ESD 10482 Cultural Heritage Protection Office Novo mesto.