Grbajel, Memorial to the Meeting of Representatives of Slovene and Croatian Partisan Units

»Already in the pre-war period of Yugoslavia, cooperation between Croats and Slovenes existed in the upper part of the Kolpa Valley and the Čabranke Valley. With the occupation of our homeland, this cooperation strengthened with new content. Already in May 1942, a meeting of communists from both sides of the Kolpa took place in the Croatian Kužljak. The second meeting took place on the days from 17th to 18th June 1942 in Brodu on the Kolpa.

After the adopted conclusions and positions on mutual cooperation between Slovene and Croatian partisan units, which were adopted by the Main Staff of the NOV and PO Croatia and the Main Command of the partisan units of Slovenia, in April 1942, a meeting of patrols of Slovene and Croatian partisans took place in the upper part of the Kolpa Valley and the Čabranke Valley. After this meeting, a meeting took place on the days from 19th to 20th April 1942 in Grabajel, on the territory of the municipality of Delnice. Representatives of the 3rd group of Slovene partisan units – battalions and representatives of the 3rd battalion – Goranin Primorsko Goranski Odred were present at the meeting. At this meeting, they exchanged current experiences in the fight against the occupier. They agreed on future actions, mutual links, especially across the Kolpa River and elsewhere.

In memory of the 45th anniversary of this event, there was a workers' holiday – 1st May inter-republican celebration in Grabajel. On this occasion, a memorial was unveiled for this event. Representatives of the Borčevska organisations of SR Croatia, tov. Bogdan Mamula, and representative from SRS, tov. Ante Novak, emphasized the significance of this meeting for the further development of the national liberation struggle in this part of Croatia and Slovenia. They emphasized that cooperation between the inhabitants of both sides of the Kolpa and Čabranke was and is still friendly and brotherly, and so it is today. In the cultural programme, societies from Skrada, Vas–Fara and others, as well as music on pipes and tamburica, participated.«

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Inter-republican celebration in Grabajel, Kočevske novice, Glasilo OK SZDL Kočevje, Letnik IV, št. 4, Sreda, 27. 5. 1987, str. 4. Electronic source: Kočevske novice, št. 4, 1987. Access: 8. 2. 2024.

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