ARHIVSKI VJESNIK 39. (ZAGREB, 1996.)
Strana - 163
J. Kolanović, Holocaust in Croatia - Documentation and research perspectives, Arh. vjesn., god. 39(1996) str. 157-174 On the other hand, documents show that the Croatian people as a whole never accepted the repressive Ustasha policy directed against the Jews. The above mentioned Coselschi claimed in his report that the majority of the Croatian people was against the wearing of the Star of David. Similarly, Giustiniani marchese Raimondo, First Secretary of the Italian embassy in Zagreb, in his report on the Jewish issue in Croatia dated 1942, stated: "The general public in Croatia feels great distrust toward the new regime and is adversely affected by repeated illegal activities of the unscrupulous Ustasha officials. The Croatian people are reacting very negatively to the anti-Jewish measures and are very skeptical about the further course of events" 10 . Finally, even the high-ranking Ustasha official Slavko Kvaternik, who had to resign at the end of 1942, claimed: "The Croatian people shall never forgive Pavelić the cruel persecution of Jews, and the whole nation is accusing him of inhumanity" 11 . According to confidential Ustasha files, Pavelić's regime was not supported by the Croatian general public at the end of 1942, primarily because of its persecution of the Jews and Serbs. Such politics accounted the enthusiasm with which a large number of people joined the resistance movement led by the Communists. Here we have a short summary of the attitude of the Croatian people as a whole, toward the Holocaust, and not just Croatian anti-Fascists. However, further elaboration is needed. 2. Documentation about the Holocaust in Croatia Documentation about the Holocaust in Croatia can be devided into several different groups. The first and the most important group consists of official documents (laws, provisions and archives of the Ustasha administration) of the government of the Independent State of Croatia. They are stored for the most part in the Croatian State andare nelle loro case a portar via, senza control lo e senza disciplina, quello che capita, come pare che abbiano fatto in un primo tempo. 10 Roma, ASAE, AG Croazia 35: Condizione degli ebrei in Croazia VI. 1941 - V. 1943. "L'opinione publica croata non sufficientemente preparata ad una campagna razziale ed ancora diffidente verso il nuovo Regime ma sopratutto impressionata da un continuo susseguirsi di atti illegali compiuti da fuzionari ustasci senza scrupuli, reagi piuttosto negativamente contro queste misure antiebraiche, osservando con molto scetticismo lo svolgersi degli avvenimenti." " HDA, Ostavština Theodora Božidara Alberta, "Aber niemals hat das Kroatische Volk die Forderung nach Erbringung von Rassengesetzen verlangt und noch viel weniger etwa grausame und brutale Judenverfolgung gebilligt. Ganz im Gegenteile- in seinem prononziertem Gefühl für Recht und Nächstenliebe, hat das Volk sogleich Stellung für das Judenthum genommen ... Das kroatische Volk hat die grausame Judenvervolgung dem Pavelić nie verziehen und steht in seiner Gesamtheit als Anklager dieser Unmenschlichkeit". 163
