engleski

The Role of the Holy See in the Trial against the Istrian Anti-Fascists in 1929

As a border region, Istria was part of the Kingdom of Italy between the two World Wars. Although the population was multi-ethnic, the Croatian majority in Istria and the Slovenian majority in northern Istria suffered violence inflicted from the fascist regime. In Trieste, on the Slovenian coast and in Istria, a group of young anti-fascists formed a secret association called Borba, with the purpose of fighting the fascist regime and the violent assimilation of Croats and Slovenes. Živko Gortan, Viktor Baćac, Dušan Ladavac, Vjekoslav Ladavac and Vladimir Gortan were members of a group that tried to discourage the population from voting at parliamentary elections and the fascist plebiscite of 1929. This would turn out to be the only activity of the sort in all of Italy. Their actions in Beram, unfortunately, led to the accidental shooting dead of a peasant. As a consequence, all five young men were placed on trial at a Special Tribunal for the Defence of the State. During the trial that took place in Pula from October 14th to 16th 1929, thanks to the Yugoslavian bishops and the apostolic nuncio to Belgrade, the Holy See took an interest in the case and took some diplomatic steps with the Italian government aimed at saving the accused from the death penalty.

fascism, anti-fascism, Pope Pius XI, Eugenio Pacelli, Ermenegildo Pellegrinetti, Vladimir Gortan, Istria

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