The Holocaust in Serbia
Encyclopedia
The Holocaust in Serbia refers to the genocide of Jews
and Roma during World War II
in Serbia supported by the Nedić regime.
stated in September 1938, that "Jewish issue did not exist in Yugoslavia…. Jewish refugees from the Nazi Germany are not welcome here." In december 1938 Rabbi Isaac Alkalai, the only Jewish member of government was dismissed from the government.
On 25 March 1941, Prince Paul of Yugoslavia
signed the Tripartite Pact
, allying the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
with the Axis powers
. Prince Paul was overthrown, and a new anti-German government under Peter II
and Dušan Simović
took power. The new government withdrew its support for the Axis, but did not repudiate the Tripartite Pact
. Nevertheless, Axis forces, led by Nazi Germany
invaded Yugoslavia in April 1941.
The govenment of Milan Nedic
took on the task of "cleansing Serbia of Jews, renegades, and Gypsies."
took part that was funded by Belgrade city authorities.
.
Dimitrije Ljotic
, who was a leading Serbian Nazi ideologist founded a pan-Serbian
, pro-Nazi and Fascist party Zbor
. It was very active organisation that published a large number extreme anti-Semitic literature.
The military part of Zbor renowned as the Serbian Voluntary Guard acted as a reliable ally of Gestapo in elimination of Jews.
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
and Roma during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in Serbia supported by the Nedić regime.
Background
Yugoslav Foreign Secretary Anton KorosecAnton Korošec
Anton Korošec was a Slovenian political leader, a prominent member of the conservative People's Party, a priest and a noted orator....
stated in September 1938, that "Jewish issue did not exist in Yugoslavia…. Jewish refugees from the Nazi Germany are not welcome here." In december 1938 Rabbi Isaac Alkalai, the only Jewish member of government was dismissed from the government.
On 25 March 1941, Prince Paul of Yugoslavia
Prince Paul of Yugoslavia
Prince Paul of Yugoslavia, also known as Paul Karađorđević , was Regent of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia during the minority of King Peter II. Peter was the eldest son of his first cousin Alexander I...
signed the Tripartite Pact
Tripartite Pact
The Tripartite Pact, also the Three-Power Pact, Axis Pact, Three-way Pact or Tripartite Treaty was a pact signed in Berlin, Germany on September 27, 1940, which established the Axis Powers of World War II...
, allying the Kingdom of Yugoslavia
Kingdom of Yugoslavia
The Kingdom of Yugoslavia was a state stretching from the Western Balkans to Central Europe which existed during the often-tumultuous interwar era of 1918–1941...
with the Axis powers
Axis Powers
The Axis powers , also known as the Axis alliance, Axis nations, Axis countries, or just the Axis, was an alignment of great powers during the mid-20th century that fought World War II against the Allies. It began in 1936 with treaties of friendship between Germany and Italy and between Germany and...
. Prince Paul was overthrown, and a new anti-German government under Peter II
Peter II of Yugoslavia
Peter II, also known as Peter II Karađorđević , was the third and last King of Yugoslavia...
and Dušan Simović
Dušan Simovic
Dušan T. Simović was a Yugoslav general who served as chief of the air force and commander-in-chief of the Royal Yugoslav Army and as the Prime Minister of Yugoslavia.-Life and career:...
took power. The new government withdrew its support for the Axis, but did not repudiate the Tripartite Pact
Tripartite Pact
The Tripartite Pact, also the Three-Power Pact, Axis Pact, Three-way Pact or Tripartite Treaty was a pact signed in Berlin, Germany on September 27, 1940, which established the Axis Powers of World War II...
. Nevertheless, Axis forces, led by Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany
Nazi Germany , also known as the Third Reich , but officially called German Reich from 1933 to 1943 and Greater German Reich from 26 June 1943 onward, is the name commonly used to refer to the state of Germany from 1933 to 1945, when it was a totalitarian dictatorship ruled by...
invaded Yugoslavia in April 1941.
The govenment of Milan Nedic
Milan Nedic
Milan Nedić was a Serbian general and politician, he was the chief of the general staff of the Yugoslav Army, minister of war in the Royal Yugoslav Government and the prime minister of a Nazi-backed Serbian puppet government during World War II.After the war, Yugoslav communist authorities...
took on the task of "cleansing Serbia of Jews, renegades, and Gypsies."
Anti-Masonic Exhibition
In November 1941 a Anti-Freemason ExhibitionAnti-Freemason Exhibition
Grand Anti-Masonic Exhibition was the name of an antisemitic exhibition that was opened in Belgrade, in Nazi-occupied Serbia, on October 22, 1941. This exhibition was part of a propaganda campaign by the Germans to "unmask the Jewish freemason and communist conspiracy that is behind all the...
took part that was funded by Belgrade city authorities.
The Holocaust
The main race laws in the State of Serbia were adopted on 30 April 1941: the Legal Decree on Racial Origins (Zakonska odredba o rasnoj pripadnosti). Serbia was in August 1942. the first state that was declared as judenfreiJudenfrei
Judenfrei was a Nazi term to designate an area free of Jewish presence during The Holocaust.While Judenfrei referred merely to "freeing" an area of all of its Jewish citizens, the term Judenrein was also used...
.
Dimitrije Ljotic
Dimitrije Ljotic
Dimitrije Ljotić was a Serbian politician and Nazi German collaborationist during World War II.Although born in Belgrade he spent most of his life in Smederevo. His ancestors came to Serbia from the village of Blace in what is today Greek Macedonia during the first half of 19th century...
, who was a leading Serbian Nazi ideologist founded a pan-Serbian
Pan-Serbism
Pan-Serbism is a movement begun in the 18th century that aimed at unity of all the Serbian people spread over the Balkans.- Overview :The first person to formulate the modern, linguistically based, idea of Pan-Serbism was Dositej Obradović, a writer and thinker who dedicated his writings to the...
, pro-Nazi and Fascist party Zbor
ZBOR
Yugoslav National Movement "Zbor" , commonly known simply as ZBOR, was a Yugoslav fascist and conservative nationalist movement formed in 1935 by Dimitrije Ljotić. ZBOR's ideology was a blend of Italian Fascism, Nazism, and Serbian Orthodox Christian fundamentalism...
. It was very active organisation that published a large number extreme anti-Semitic literature.
The military part of Zbor renowned as the Serbian Voluntary Guard acted as a reliable ally of Gestapo in elimination of Jews.