Secretary General of the MOD's Service Office meets with residents of Kalište, a village burned down by Nazi troops in WW2

To commemorate the 77th anniversary of the burning down of Kalište by Nazi troops in WW2, Secretary General of the MOD's Service Office Peter Kozák met with residents of Kalište at the Slovak National Uprising (SNP) Museum in Banská Bystrica on Friday (18 March 2022). He led a discussion about the legacy and immense courage of the people who did not hesitate to resist bloody oppression by the Nazis.

Speaking on the occasion, Secretary General of the MOD's Service Office Peter Kozák said: “The legacy of bravery Kalište’s residents and many others have left behind by standing up face to face against the Nazi occupation of their country is an inspiration for us even today when a war is raging just a few kilometres from our border. Not only can we read about the horrors of war in chronicles, but these days we can see them with our own eyes, reminding ourselves that life in peace as we know it is not a matter of course. Let’s not forget the heroism of those who fought and those who are fighting for our freedom.”

The mountain village of Kalište was one of the main partisan bases throughout the 1944 Slovak National Uprising. Local residents selflessly took care of the injured, wounded and sick partisans. Although Nazi military and security forces mounted several raids on the village, they were repeatedly repelled by the partisans. Then, the early hours of 18 March 1945 saw Kalište torched and many of its residents executed by the Nazis.

Kalište has been a National Heritage Site since February 1961.