75 years ago today: Nazi forces destroy village of Kalište; shoot inhabitants

Today, two houses, a chapel, and house foundations are all that remain of the village of Kalište in the Tatra Mountains, 30 kilometres from Banská Bystrica (central Slovakia). At around 4:00 AM on March 18, 1945, Nazi German troops launched a surprise attack on the village, burning houses and shooting residents dead as they opened their doors and tried to flee. With Soviet troops advancing, and Nazi-controlled forces losing their grip, Nazi troops destroyed the village in desperation and retaliation, with the village regularly used as a supply hub and meeting place for partisan fighters during the unsuccessful Slovak National Uprising, seven months earlier. Kalište was one of 102 Slovak villages completely destroyed in reprisals by Nazi-led forces with fourteen citizens and 32 partisans being killed; many of those burned to death in their homes. Today, Kalište sits empty and signposts have been erected to commemorate the lives of those who died, with the remnants of the village now being managed by the Museum of the Slovak National Uprising in Banská Bystrica.