By: C. R.
On April 10th, 2024, the exhibition Jama pod Macesnovo gorico – Slovenian Katyn was opened in the Plato Hall of the St. Stanislav Institute in Ljubljana. The exhibition’s author is historian Dr Jože Dežman, and the professional team includes Luka Rozman (head of the archaeological team), Dr Petra Leben Seljak (anthropology), Dr Uroš Košir (analysis of found objects), Dr Andrej Mihevc (speleology), Dr Mitja Ferenc and Dr Tamara Griesser Pečar (historical overview), and Pavel Jamnik (forensic action Reconciliation).
As historian Dr Jože Dežman wrote in the press release, archaeologists excavated the remains of 3450 men from April to September 2022 in the abyss under Macesnova gorica, murdered from June 2nd to 10th, 1945. The cave was partially mined during the massacre in 1945, but extensive mining took place about ten years later. At that time, the entire cave ceiling was blown up. In order to uncover the remains of the victims, they had to excavate about three thousand cubic meters of blasted rock. Due to the fragmentation of the bones, an exact count of the victims was not possible. There were at least 3450 of them and probably not more than 3500.
Around half, more than 1750 of them, were over 24 years old, more than 800 were between 20 and 23 years old, and more than 800 were under twenty, none of them younger than 14 years old. They were all males. During the excavation of the mortal remains, more than 10,000 items were found. Most of the items belonged to the victims, while more than 1600 belonged to the perpetrators. Testimonies from those who managed to escape from the pit under Macesnova gorica, research from 1990 to 2017, especially in 2019 and 2022, confirmed that the pit under Macesnova gorica was a slaughterhouse and burial ground for Slovenian prisoners of war. It was a scene of fratricide and a fiercely protected taboo of Titoism.
Among those who managed to escape from the pit under Macesnova gorica was also the father of the President of SDS, Janez Janša, namely Janez Janša Sr.
The exhibition will be open until May 10th, 2024.
