Fresco on the Poles' Uprisings

Fresco on the building of the shop in the centre of Poljane is dedicated to the Poljane uprising of December 1941. It was painted by the local man Ive Šubic, an academic painter and participant in the uprising. It was unveiled on 13 September 1981 on the 40th anniversary of the Poljane uprising.

The coloured fresco, measuring 3 x 6 m, consists of four scenes of the Poljane uprising: on the upper left is the imprisoned fighters at Muh in Vinharje, upper right shows the cooperation of the locals during the attack of the Cankarjev battalion on Poljane, on the lower part of the fresco, on the left side, the departure of the locals to the battalion is depicted, and at the bottom right are the fighters of the battalion and their glorious battle in Poljanska dolina, among them are recognizable important Poljane leaders. The fresco is divided in the middle by a woman with a flag and a loaf of bread in her hand, representing Poljanska dolina, which had risen in revolt and sheltered the fighters.

At a meeting in Kocjan in Bukovščica, in the beginning of December 1941, which was attended by representatives of the regional committee of the KPS for Gorenjska and political workers from all of Gorenjska, a decision was made to immediately begin the uprising. For the execution of the uprising in Poljanska dolina, Maks Krmelj was assigned, who had already established the Poljanska četa prior to this. For the execution of the uprising in Selška dolina, Ivan Tomažin was assigned, who had gathered the Selška četa. Both četi then joined the Cankarjev battalion. The Gorenjsko political and military leadership then assessed that the most conditions for a broad general uprising had been created in Poljanska dolina. Therefore, the Cankarjev battalion was sent from Selška to Poljanska dolina. On the way, on 12 December 1941, in Rovt, it achieved the largest partisan victory on Slovene territory. 46 enemy soldiers were killed, and they also captured a great deal of weapons and equipment. The battalion then passed through Martinj Vrha, Žetine, Vinharij and Bukovec Vrha, arriving in Polhovec at a temporary encampment.

During those days, many volunteers from various places arrived in Polhovec to the battalion, the most coming after the patrols were sent out on 20th and 21st December, which were led by local activists and organizers of the uprising. After the action in the Loški zapore on 21st December, where the Loški activists were arrested, 17 Loški fighters also joined the battalion.

From the entire Škofjeloško area, in December 1941, a total of 366 men and youths left for the partisans, of which 22 came from Škofje Loke and its surroundings, 18 from the area of Selška dolina, and 326 from Poljanska dolina – only from the area of the then municipalities of Poljane and Javorje 261. Among the fighters were 116 youths, who were younger than 25 years, and among all of them were 135 workers, the others were peasant sons.

The peak of this uprising were the fierce battles with the Germans from 25th to 27th December 1941 on the area of Pasja rava, Bukovec and Valterski Vrh, and then the famous battle in Dražgoši from 9th to 11th January 1942.

The Poljane uprising was of key importance for the further development of the partisan movement in Gorenjska. It prevented the expulsion of the population from Poljanska dolina, without it there would not have been the legendary Dražgoši battle, since it involved as many as 129 participants of the December uprising.

Source: Stane Krapež, ur., Pomniki NOB na Škofjeloškem, Ljubljana: Borec, 1986, str. 232-234.

EŠD 16485

Link to the web page:
http://zbnobskofjaloka.weebly.com/poljane.html