Contested Memories and the Dynamics of Remembrance in Slovenia Related to the Second World War: 1941–present

The article illustrates the dynamics of (collective) memory and remembrance related to the Second World War in Slovenia in the period from the beginning of the War to the present. Still today, there is a strong polarization in Slovenian society and especially among political elites about what “really happened,” who was right and who was wrong. During the War, the division arose between two major groups: 1) the members and supporters of the National Liberation Struggle (NLS), the so-called Liberation Front [Osvobodilna fronta], i.e. the Partisans; 2) those who collaborated with the occupying forces, especially the Slovenian Home Guards [Slovensko domobranstvo], and their supporters. The contribution is framed by the propaganda that was shaped during the War, by the collective memories that were consolidated during the period of Socialist Yugoslavia and the contested memories that emerged after the independence of Slovenia in 1991. All these facilitated and created the divided memory that is even now evident in Slovenia. The historical analysis is based on newspaper articles and other publications published during the war and in the years following the war by both groups. Furthermore, to understand the turn after the independence of Slovenia, the authors also analyze the Interim report of the Commission of Inquiry into the investigation of post-war massacres, legally questionable trials, and other such irregularities, which took place in Slovenia between 1993 and 1996. The article raises the question of how to alleviate the bifurcated situation to look forward with more optimism to a more nuanced view of the Second World War. Based on previous research, the authors argue that a “middle voice” approach can—in the long run—lead to a more constructive dialogue in Slovenia.