Metlika

Komtur nemškega viteškega reda oziroma metliški prošt v njegovem imenu na »svojem« teritoriju pri podeljevanju cerkvenih služb nista imela ovir, zato so bili skoraj vsi duhovniki v metliškem okraju oz. komisariatu, v katerega je cerkvenoupravno spadala Bela krajina, člani nemškega viteškega reda. Prispevek poskuša ponovno odkriti že zdavnaj pozabljene življenjske poti belokranjskih duhovnikov, delujočih v času prvega goriškega nadškofa Karla Mihaela Attemsa. Članek je brati kot dopolnilo in v nekaterih pogledih nadgradnjo članka Bela krajina v vizitacijskih zapisnikih goriškega nadškofa Karla Mihaela Attemsa (1752–1774) v pričujoči številki Kronike. Pri sestavi biogramov so nam bili v pomoč vizitacijski zapisniki, ki se hranijo v Nadškofijskem arhivu v italijanski Gorici, ordinacijski zapisniki iz videmskega in goriškega nadškofijskega arhiva, številne matične knjige iz ljubljanskega nadškofijskega arhiva ter tudi nekateri objavljeni arhivski viri.

The occupation border between fascist Italy and the Ustashe Independent State of Croatia (NDH) in Bela krajina ran along the border of the Črnomelj district, from Trdinov vrh along the Gorjanci ridge and Žumberk to the Kolpa River near Božakovo, moving along the Kolpa River up to Predgrad. To prevent the Slovenian and Croatian partisan brigades from crossing the border, the Italians intended to fortify the border at Gorjanci/Žumberk with a corridor of wire fence and bunkers. No wire fence was conceived along the Kolpa River, only fortified bridges and other structures. Due to the capitulation in the spring of 1943, the Italians only managed to build five bunkers near Metlika.  The border cut deep into people's daily lives, especially farmers who had land on both sides of the border. People along the border also faced the issue of refugees coming from the NDH, especially the Jewish population.  Residents of Žumberk with Orthodox roots believed the border was quite useful since it prevented the Ustashe from coming to the Italian occupation area. In May 1941, there were individual attempts to annex the municipality of Radatovići, which was part of the Černomelj district, to the NDH; and an attempt to annex the entire region of Bela krajina to Nazi Germany. A strong resistance movement evolved very quickly, forcing the Italians to leave smaller border outposts as early as December 1942. From then on, they stayed in larger towns only, surrounding them completely or partially with bunkers and barbed wire.
After the capitulation of Italy in September 1943, Bela krajina became a free territory where the headquarters of the National Liberation Army and the partisan detachments of Slovenia was set up in addition to the Executive Committee of the Liberation Front, and many other institutions. By the end of the war, only a couple of individual invasions of Germans and Ustashe had hit Bela krajina.
Zilje is a small village on the banks of the Kolpa River. There was a crew of the Italian Guardia di Finanza. The villagers had no problems with them. Like in other places in Bela krajina, the Italian Army deported many men from Zilje to camps. A lot of them died there due to unbearable conditions.
Today, comparisons between the former occupation border and the current wired border with the Republic of Croatia are being made.