70 years ago: German troops burnt down Slovak village, kill inhabitants

Wednesday marks the 70th anniversary of the destruction of the village of Kalište in the Low Tatra Mountains by the occupying German forces on March 18, 1945, writes the Pravda daily. The attack was a reprisal for assistance provided by villagers to those taking part in the Slovak National Uprising (SNP) with the village being an organisational hub for the so-called 'Partisan Republic'. German troops shot some of the inhabitants, while others were burned to death in their homes. More than 40 people were killed, while others were taken into captivity. Milan Kaliský, who witnessed the attack as a seven-year-old boy, told the Pravda daily that the assault began very early in the morning. "It was still dark when we heard shooting, and our frightened neighbours came to tell us that German units had arrived and were driving people out of their homes. I ran out with my father, who was immediately ordered to halt and raise his arms. He managed to escape into the forest, however, and was able to survive there", said Kaliský, adding that his own house was burnt down. Around 300 Germans troops took part in the attack. Kalište was only one of 102 villages in Slovakia that were attacked and destroyed, however this village became a main symbol of German reprisals. The remains of the village were declared a national cultural memorial site in 1961, and two houses that survived the attack have been turned into an exhibition centre. The town also has 17 information boards dotted around the site, plus a reconstructed partisan bunker. An event commemorating what took place at Kalište 70 years ago was held at the Slovak National Uprising Museum in Banská Bystrica on Tuesday.