"Genocide Carried out by the Tito Partisans" Österreichische
Historiker-Arbeitsgemeinschaft Für Kärnten und Steiermark (Austrian Historian Working
Group for Kärnten and Steiermark)
Chapter
Four:
Syrem, Slavonia,
Baranya:
The Cauldron -
Translated by
Henry Fischer
Srem: When the Beasts
Ruled
“Whoever cannot
work will not be
allowed to live”
Semlin |
Ruma |
Mitrowitz |
Vukovar
Vukovar
Vukovar was
an important
Croatian city
with a large
German
minority. The
city was
occupied by the
Partisans on
April 12,1945.
On the very same
day, the
Partisans
arrested all of
the leading
personalities if
the area,
including the
teachers Michael
Paitz, Jakob
Kiefer and
Leonhardt
Baumgartner.
The arrested men
were immediately
shot. Their
liquidation was
announced
publicly the
next day to the
entire
population. The
next day a new
series of
arrests and
imprisonments
began. As a
result one
hundred and
twenty men
simply
disappeared.
They were shot
in the former
German military
camp grounds
trenches. Among
the victims that
day were the
most important
officials in the
city, which
included
Matthias
Schreckeis and
the mayor, Ing.
Turk. Fathers
of some of the
Partisans were
shot that day.
Three of them
were driven on
foot and forced
to cross a
minefield that
tore them all
apart with their
explosions. On
the same day the
plundering of
homes and
properties
began. Anything
the Partisans
wanted they
took. On one of
the following
days Martin
Muller and
Martin Hutz were
publicly
executed
standing up
against a wall
and shot by a
Partisan
formation. It
was reported
that guns had
been found in
their
possession, one
hidden in a
wheelbarrow and
the other buried
in the garden.
In truth neither
of them had any
arms nor had
they tried to
hide them. The
finding of the
guns was only a
ruse. On April
16th
all of the
inhabitants of
the city had to
report and
indicate their
nationality.
The intention of
the registration
was revealed on
April 24th,
when all persons
who had claimed
to be German,
had to leave
their homes and
Vukovar that
day. A portion
of those being
expelled from
the city were
led down to the
Danube and put
on ships and
sent to
Palanka. The
group consisted
of young mothers
with children
and old women.
From Palanka
they were driven
on foot to Jarek
heading for the
internment camp
there. The pace
of the march had
to be maintained
by everyone or
they were
beaten. One
woman who could
no longer go on,
was beaten and
shoved about by
the Partisans,
and fell into a
ditch and broke
her leg.
Without any
consideration
for her
condition she
had to come
along and
maintain the
pace of the
march. She was
helped along by
some of the
others. Without
counting the
children, there
were sixty-two
persons in this
group when they
arrived in Jarek
on May 1st.
After three and
one half months
only six of them
were still
alive.
The second,
and much larger
group of the
expellees from
Vukovar on April
24th
were taken to
the Ovtschara-Puszta
of Count Elz.
There were one
hundred and
sixty persons in
this group. At
the end of May
they were driven
on foot to
Jarek.
A third
group of those
expelled on
April 24th
were taken to
the Czech
College on the
Danube. Not
counting the
children, there
were some two
hundred
persons. They
would be the
third group to
be sent to Jarek
later.
Another
group made up of
able bodied
women and men
were assembled
and were taken
to Mitrowitz and
Schid to work on
railway
construction.
They numbered
two hundred
persons. After
some time,
almost worked to
death and unable
to work any
further they
were also
brought to
Jarek. But the
vast majority of
them had
succumbed and
become victims
while they were
in Mitrowitz.
Only a few
individuals
survived and
came to Jarek.
Of four brothers
who had been
sent to
Mitrowitz only
one came to
Jarek and he
died four days
after his
arrival.
On August 7th
another
sixty-two
persons in
Vukovar were
driven out of
their homes.
They were
individuals who
had claimed to
be Croatians,
even though they
had German
names. About
forty of them
were brought to
Jarek, and
twenty were sent
to Valpovo.
Only a few of
them from
Valpovo arrived
in Jarek the
next year.
Again in
November another
forty persons
were taken to
Valpovo. From
among them only
a few
individuals were
able to
survive.
On January
4th
an additional
sixty persons
were driven out
of their homes
and were driven
to Valpovo.
Among them was
the 76 year old
Elisabeth
Kleiber the
benefactress of
the community.
Years before she
had established
a large
children's’
orphanage at her
own expense and
continued to
support and
maintain it. At
the time she was
expelled she was
living in the
orphanage and
had entrusted
all of her
estate to its
future. This
kind and
generous woman,
the friend of
the poor, was
dragged off to
Valpovo, where
she would die.
When the camp at
Jarek was closed
and the
survivors were
sent on to the
camp at
Kruschevlje, of
the hundreds of
Germans from
Vukovar who had
been brought to
Jarek, only
twelve persons
were among
them. All of
the others had
perished.
[Published at
DVHH.org,
Sept. 2006]
