The nazis built the Mauthausen concentration camp in 1938 with the help of male slave labour, transported from the Dachau camp. By the evacuation of the camp in 1945, approximately 4153 Slovenes were brought there due to their devotion to communism, membership in the League of Communists of Slovenia, providing aid to the partisans or involvement in various insurgent actions. In 1942, the Italians opened the Arbe concentration camp, which existed little over a year. During this time, approximately 5.087 Slovenes were sent to the island. In my master thesis, I will describe the differences and similarities of everyday life of Slovene people, who were deported from their homeland, separated from their families against their will and taken to Mauthausen or Arbe. Based on the testimonies and memories of the survivals, I will focus on the horrors that they experienced during their deportation, on entering the camp and every day of their internment until the liberation and return back to Slovenia.
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