Historical background

Between March 29 and April 1, 1945, after the front of war passed through Zvolen, six mass graves were officially opened at the Jewish cemetery in Zvolen. The graves contained the bodies of 128 victims (86 men, 36 women and 6 children). All of them were killed by a shot in the back of the head and were victims of Einsatzkommando 14 from the Zvolen district, operating in this area between November 1944 and February 1945. The commandant was SS-Unterscharführer Robert Wich, called the bloody executioner of Zvolen.

After exhumation the bodies of the victims were identified by loved ones. Some Gypsy women said that they had recognised their husbands or sons by their teeth or some characteristic piece of clothing. Pavel Klinec (Junc) was recognised by his pipe and leather pouch, which he always had strapped to his waist.

The names of the murdered Roma were placed on a plaque at the Jewish cemetery nine years after the unveiling of the memorial. The plaque contains the names of the Gypsies from the area of ​​Podpoľania (also called Zvolensk, including the poviats of Detva, Krupin and Zvolen), both those who were murdered in Zvolen and others killed in Kremnička. Both the memorial and the plaque with names were erected as part of the Ma bisteren! Project.

 

Description of commemoration

The memorial resembles a crematorium chimney stack with a ventilation grille. The grille is forged, hammered and it consists of two parts. It has hinges, thanks to which both parts are movable. Thus, it creates a space where you can put a lamp or flowers. The plaque is placed in the cemetery wall, a few metres behind the memorial. The inscriptions “Ma bisteren!” on the memorial as well as the plaque are made using the same technique as the hammered metal grille.

Inscriptions

The memorial: ”Ma bisteren! / Na pamiatku / romskich / obeti / 1939-1945” (Let us not forget! In memory of the Roma victims 1939-1945)

The plaque: ”Na pamiatku romskich obeti / z Podpoľania 1939-1945 / (names) / Ma bisteren!” (In memory of the Roma victims from Podpoľanie 1939-1945 / (names) / Let us not forget!)

Names of victims from Podpoľanie 1939-1945

Dúbravy

Juraj Klinec (Plecháň)            born 1887       57 years old    shot

Mikuláš Klinec (Cvelko)         born 6.07.1912           32 years old    shot

Gustáv Klinec (Duge vasta) born 1910          34 years old    shot

Koloman Klinec (Šmalec) born 1920 24 years old    shot

Vojtech Klinec (Trnka)           born 1918       26 years old    shot

Juraj Klinec (Furiak)   born 1.12.1927           14 years old    shot

Imrich Klinec (Vursalo)          born 1.06.1904           40 years old    shot

Juraj Klinec (Bapser)  born 30.05.1923         21 years old    shot

Adam Klinec (Brlíľ)    born 10.03.1904         40 years old    shot

Peter Klinec                born 19.06.1901         43 years old    shot

Samuel Klinec (Sabač)           born 5.11.1928                       16 years old    shot

Jozef Klinec (Bimbó)  born 30.12.1923         20 years old    shot

Pavol Klinec (Junec)   born 8.09.1897                       47 years old    shot

Viliam Klinec (Sloskáň)          born 7.03.1928           18 years old    shot

 

Detva

Karol Berky                born 3.11.1917                       27 years old    shot

Ján Berky                    born 9.07.1919                       25 years old    shot

Ľudovít Berky (Dlhoš)            born 18.03.1902         44 years old    shot

Jozef Oláh (Ciblik)      born 15.11.1900         45 years old    concentration camp

Juraj Berky (Klinec)    born 8.11.1922                       23 years old    missing

Augustín Berky           (Dlhoš)            born 25.05.1918         26 years old    missing

Samuel Berky             born 18.01.1919         36 years old    landmine explosion

František Berky                      born 13.02.1896         49 years old    landmine explosion

Augustín Berky                       born 25.08.1918         26 years old    landmine explosion

Ján Berky                    born 20.11.1873         72 years old    landmine explosion

Koloman Berky                                                          25 years old    shot

Juraj Berky                 born 1881                   64 years old    shot

 

Hriňová

Štefan Berky               born 1922       23 years old    shot

Ján Berky                    born 1926       18 years old    shot

Július Berky                                       32 years old    shot

 

Podkriváň Dolná Bzová

11 men from the family of Berkyoviec murdered in Zvolen and Kremnička

 

Vígľaš

Tortured in Vígľašski Zamok, and them murdered in Kremnička:

Ján Čipčala (Jergi; lead violin player)                        shot

Jozef Klinec                                                   shot

Mikuláš Oláh (Šípka; dulcimer player)                       shot

Date of the unveiling

The memorial: April 8, 2006; the plaque with the names: December 10, 2015

Author

Jaroslava Šicková and Ján Šicko

Initiator

In Minorita – projekt Ma bisteren!

 

Address

Jewish cemetery

Location

48°34’13.8″N 19°07’02.7″E

Materials

Zuza Kumanová, Arne B. Mann, Ma bisteren! Pripomínanie rómskeho holocaustu, Bratislava 2014, s. 40.

Zuza Kumanová, Arne B. Mann, Ma bisteren, Nové poznatky o holocauste Rómov na Slovensku, Bratislava 2015, s. 12-13.

Gallery