Fascist Bulgaria's occupation of Macedonia during World War II

[TrueMacedonian]

Bratot your research is amazing. Thank God you're on our side

[Bratot]

I have more reasons to say that about you

Keep coming up with these references TM, great job.

[Daskalot]

Nice collection, here is some more.....

Here is a text describing how the Bulgarians tried to assimilate the Macedonians during their occupation of Macedonia in World War II.

This book was printed in Prilep 1961.

Page 75.


Page 76.


Here is a translation into English of the above text:

THE BULGARIAN AUTHORITES ATTEMPT TO FINALLY ASSIMILATE THE POPULATION.

Before the end of October 1941, the Bulgarian Municipal authorites sent Officials to the village from the Municipal and District capital - Prilep to conduct a census of the whole population.
The Officials had printed documents with them, were they entered the inhabitants of the village. The documents had all necissary paragraphs to enter the exact evidence (year of birth, place, gender, occupation, education) and finally there was a special paragraph which said “political affiliaton” and “nationality”.

The Officials put their hardest effort on the final paragraph in the census. They asked the people what nationality they are - Serbs or Bulgarians, but Macedonians were not at all mentioned.

Before the Officials began to assimilate the Macedonian population they held a short clarifying speech, in which they said that this people is Bulgarian “in origin” and needs to sign as that and further in the Bulgarian books as evidence.
That speech even more upset the villagers who told them that in this village there are no Serbs neither Bulgarians but only Macedonians. They asked the Officials if they could sign as Macedonian under the paragraph “nationality” in the census.

One of the Policemen tried to explaine to the villagers that Bulgarian and Macedonian are the same; that it has no relevance for the document, which is only a Record which will be in a archive.
The villagers forced the Officials and the Policemen to let them sign as “Macedonian” under the paragraph “nationality”.

Thus in the census Aleksandar S… entered him and his family as Macedonian, and after him followed the other villagers: Vanche S…, Vasil V…, Trajko M…, Dushan M…, Aleksa V…, Jovan S…, Tode V…, Nikola P…, Nikola Z…, and other villagers.

This open statement by the villagers against the Bulgarian assimilation made the Bulgarian Municipal authorities revolt and seek thru the District capital for a village leader from somewhere else to be sent to the village who is a Bulgarian and can help Bulgaria, but in the village of ….. there is noone who claims to be a pure Bulgarian. This was told to them by the villagers from their Municipal village leader Nikola K… on the conference where the new village leader Ilija L… from ….. was announced by a decree.

Enjoy!

[Bratot]

What's the name of this book?

[Daskalot]

Originally Posted by Bratot

What's the name of this book?

I do not have the title of it, the pages above were sent to me in a email some years ago. The only info that I got was that it was printed in Prilep in 1961 and it describes a village in the region. The names of the villagers and the name of the village were hidden/edited out.

What do you think of the info Bratot?

[Bratot]

The informations only confirms the Bulgarian agression, but I cannot really understand why someone published a book, available on the market, but asked to hide the names already published in the book?

It's quite strange.

I will try to look for this book.

Thank you Daskale.

[Soldier of Macedon]

Great thread gents.

[George S.]

Macedonian Jews in the “Yad Vashem” Museum (in Jerusalem) are recorded as Bulgarian Jews



By Slave Nikolovski-Katin

slavekatin@gmail.com

Translated and edited by Risto Stefov

rstefov@hotmail.com

June 5, 2011



In the course of World War II, the Bulgarian Fascists collected over 7,200 Jews in Macedonia and surrendered them to the Germans at the Nazi Concentration Camps in Treblinka. This was indeed a sad time for Macedonia. Sadder and stranger however is the fact that in “Yad Vashem”, the largest Jewish Museum in Jerusalem, these Jews are recorded as “Bulgarian Jews”.



Like the Macedonians, the Jews possessed century old ideals and for many decades strove to have their holy land, a dream which came true in 1948.



For generations the desire of forming a Jewish state was smouldering in the minds of many Jewish people. So when the time came there was great support from a large number of Jews around the world who were, for the love of their people, country, humanity and future fatherland, more than willing to become sponsors of such a project.



As historic records show, from the moment the first residents of Israel arrived, they were sponsored by rich Diaspora Jews. The fruition of Israel as a state, right after World War II, spurred many Diaspora Jews to financially assist the newly formed country with more and more donations with each passing day. This is one major reason why Israel today is a successful country with many institutions, and all this is attributed to the love and pride of its people who persistently help in every way they can.



Between 1948 and today, Diaspora Jews, particularly those in the United Sates and Canada, have formed a large number of funds allowing Jews, through their own means, to make donations and other forms of financial assistance to Israel.



Through the giving of generous donations, gifts and other forms of financial aid over the years, the Jews have essentially created a bright future for Israel and for its people. The persistent giving, because of love and devotion for country and people, has become a tradition creating lasting ties between Diaspora and Israeli Jews. This is similar, but to a lesser extent, what Diaspora Macedonians like Atanas Bliznakov and Petre Stamatov from the United States have done for the University of Sv. Kiril and Metodi in Skopje. Macedonians, however, have a long way to go to match the Jewish traditions of giving.



The Jewish funds worldwide, which today help Israel are many and have become invaluable in the development of Israel’s economic, political, cultural, educational, technical, technological and other fields. Thanks to these funds the “Yad Vashem” Museum, which translates to “Memorial and Name”, is an active, functioning, invaluable institution.



Located near the entrance to Jerusalem, on the road from Tel Aviv near a steep hill in close proximity to the cemetery, the “Yad Vashem” Museum is a mute witness to history which is always expanding and growing; a place where visitors can experience the sad pages of Jewish history. This is a place visited by thousands of young and old, soldiers and foreigners alike where thousands of generations come to learn and be part of the Jewish spirit and remember to never forget the horrors of the holocaust.



The idea for creating the “Yad Vashem” Museum dates back to the Second World War when Nazi Germany began to gather Jews en masse. The plan for building the museum was initiated in September 1942, with the formation of the Council of the Jewish National Fund, founded by Mordecai Shenhavi, member of the Kibbutz Mishmar Emek. Before the museum was built there were many consultations with a number of Jewish organizations and individuals both in Israel and in the Diaspora. Then in February 1946, a “Yad Vashem” office was opened in Jerusalem and a branch in Tel Aviv, with aims of expanding its activities.



With the establishment of Israel in May 1948, it was proposed that “Yad Vashem” become a state institution, whose purpose would be to register the casualties of the holocaust. In 1953 the Israeli (Knersset) Assembly passed a law charging “Yad Vashem” with that responsibility. In August of the same year the law was put into effect and the Museum began its work. Its main mission was to complete the commemoration and documentation of events; selection, research and publication of all holocaust evidence. After that the Museum was charged with the task of registering all the names of the dead. Later one of its tasks included the education of the next generations about the holocaust.



This contemporary institution of Israel is one of the most equipped institutions in the world. The “Yad Vashem” Museum is divided into ten functional parts included in which are: The Inferno of Names, the International School for Holocaust Studies, the library and the special museum section.



“Yad Vashem” is a place that every Jew either from Israel or from the Diaspora must visit. It is a great place for non-Jews to learn about the fate of the Jews, their Promised Land, their destiny and their future.



Sadly the Macedonian Jews, deported by the Fascist Governments of Bulgaria, have been recorded as “Bulgarian Jews” in the “Yad Vashem” Museum, a historical error, an injustice that has lasted for over half a century.



Articles by Risto Stefov:



http://www.maknews.com/html/articles.html#stefov

http://www.americanchronicle.com/authors/view/3446



Free electronic books by Risto Stefov available at:



http://makedonskakafana.com/macedonian_ebooks.html



Our Name is Macedonia


www.mhrmi.org/our_name_is_macedonia
from email from R.stefov

[Soldier of Macedon]

This is rather stupid given that it was the Bulgarians who rounded up the Macedonian Jews and sent them off to death camps. But this is somehow forgotten about because as an Axis country they ironically managed to save their own Jews.

[mango]

http://www.sofiaecho.com/2010/10/22/...forts-at-truth