While visiting these WWII sites in Ljubljana, you’ll learn a lot about how complicated World War II was for present-day Slovenia. It wasn’t as seemingly cut-and-dry as it was in many other parts of the world. I.e., Good vs. Evil, Democracy vs. Fascism, Allies vs. Axis, etc. World War II in Slovenia was about as gray a situation as you could get.
There certainly were all the scenarios I just mentioned, but add in a few other types of belligerents and you might be halfway there. For instance, much of Slovenia’s wartime history revolves around its incredibly successful resistance network of its Partisan organizations. But, this anti-Nazi resistance movement was largely communist. Those who opposed both fascism and communism were viewed as another kind of enemy altogether.
It gets quite complicated as you can imagine, much more complicated than I’m able and willing to discuss in this simple blog post on WWII sites in Ljubljana. However, the history is indeed fascinating. I highly recommend checking out one of the recommended books on Slovenia’s wartime history I list at the bottom of this post.
World War II in Ljubljana
When the Axis powers invaded then-Yugoslavia (ergo, present-day Slovenia) in 1941, they split it up amongst themselves. Nazi Germany took the north and most of Eastern Slovenia, Hungary took one small far-eastern portion, and fascist Italy took the western and southern portions, including the capital city of Ljubljana.
Italy’s occupation of Slovenia is mostly considered to have been “not that bad” when compared to how Nazi Germany ran their portion of the country. Perhaps “less violent” would be a better way to put it. Regardless, this only lasted until the Partisan networks ramped up their resistance efforts in Ljubljana, to which fascist Italy retaliated in kind. Tens of thousands of Slovenes were deported to concentration camps, summarily executed, taken hostage, and more.
To prevent the capital city’s residents from communicating with resistance networks on the outside, the Italian occupiers encircled the entire city in a defended barbed wire fence. Thus, it’s safe to say that Axis occupation of Ljubljana followed all the “norms” of Axis occupation: violence, killings, deportations, living in constant fear, hardships and starvation, and beyond.
After 4 years of occupation, the capital city of Ljubljana was liberated on May 9, 1945. Today, May 9th is an annual city holiday in Ljubljana and a national holiday in Europe (“Victory Day” or “V-E Day” as you might know it).
If you want to know a little more about Slovenian World War II history beyond the capital, check out my post on unique WWII sites in Slovenia.
WWII sites in Ljubljana
The WWII sites in Ljubljana you can visit today vary in their forms but not so much in their messages. You’ve got your traditional history museums and monuments, yes, but there are also commemorative walking paths and baffling cemetery arrangements.
Despite this variety, they tell similar stories that focus on major themes of self-liberation and gratitude to the Partisans for their resistance efforts. Additionally, how they all fit together and, in some cases, coexist also gives us visitors some thought-provoking insight into the nuances of the war in Slovenia.
This list is not all inclusive (there really are so many World War II sites to visit in Slovenia), but here are 17 WWII sites in Ljubljana that are totally worth checking out while you’re in this beautiful city.
Be sure to check out my post on visiting Ljubelj Concentration Camp, the only one in Slovenia and just a short drive from Ljubljana.
Map of WWII sites in Ljubljana
1. Museum of Contemporary History
First on the list of WWII sites in Ljubljana is the National Museum of Contemporary History of Slovenia. This museum covers everything that made Slovenia “from the beginning of the 20th century until yesterday.” (For the record, I did look for something that represented the “yesterday” part of this but no luck. It’s clearly just a catchphrase but, really, they could have just put out yesterday’s newspaper.)
While this museum does cover the last 120 years or so of Slovenian history, it has an amazing section specifically on World War II. Really, I was so impressed with this museum when I visited in June 2023.
It uses all kinds of mixed media to really help you understand what happened here during the war. There are videos and audio pieces, tactile exhibits, tons of surprisingly well-preserved artifacts, and endless ways of immersing you into the history. (But in a way that doesn’t at all feel chaotic or unorganized.) Seriously, bravo to the Slovenia Contemporary History Museum.
Visiting Ljubljana’s Contemporary History Museum
This museum is conveniently located on the edge of Tivoli Park and is so quick and easy to walk to from the city center. Here’s what else you need to know:
- Hours: Tuesday to Sunday, 10am to 6pm
- Admission: Full-price adult admission is €6
- Its name in Slovenian: Muzej novejše zgodovine Slovenije
- Pro tip: You can visit for free on the first Sunday of every month.
- Website: musej-nz.si
2. Žale Cemetery
Žale Cemetery is a massively expansive cemetery on the northern edge of Ljubljana where you’ll find the majority of the capital city’s war graves and memorials. Some of these are labeled; most of them aren’t; and none of them at all provide any information as to what you’re looking at. I’ve done my best to do that research for you so you’ll know what’s what when you get there.
(I adore Slovenia but possibly its greatest weakness is the utter lack of information it provides on literally any and everything. Just be prepared for lots of frustration on this front.)
One thing that stands out about Žale Cemetery in terms of WWII sites in Ljubljana is that it’s the perfect place to understand the complicatedness of the war here. I talk more about this in my greater Slovenia post, but what you’ll find in this one cemetery is a mix of everything: Axis graves, Partisan graves, and memorials to Russian troops, communists, and others of questionable morality, to name a few.
At Žale Cemetery, take your time wandering the expanse of it; it’s an incredibly interesting place to visit. The graves are meticulously kept by family members and each one is unique. There are lots of WWII memorials here so here’s a little bit about each one:
Also check out: Visiting Terezín Concentration Camp from Prague – How to get there and what to see
3. Monument to the victims of the Dachau Trials
The Monument to the Victims of the Dachau Trials is just one of many WWII sites in Ljubljana that will have you going, “Umm, what?” Because… wasn’t it Nazi war criminals that were tried at the postwar Dachau trials? And you’d be right.
The Dachau Trials as we known them (also known as the Dachau Military Tribunal) took place between 1945 and 1947 within the former Dachau Concentration Camp. And yes, they dealt with the persecution of Nazi war crimes.
However, the Slovenian “Dachau Trials” are something completely different. These instead were a set of communist show trials that took place from 1947 to 1949 within the former Social Republic of Slovenia. They were so named because the defendants had previously been prisoners at Dachau.
The Slovenian Dachau Trials
If you don’t know about communist show trials, click that link. But basically, they were wildly fabricated “trials”—complete with forged evidence, fake testimony, coerced confessions, et al.— used to show the public that their “enemies” were being dealt with and that they had everything under control. Spoiler alert: they did not.
These “enemies” had been imprisoned at Dachau as communists/political prisoners, but were “believed” to had been turned into undercover Gestapo agents during their time there and were now working against Yugoslav authorities. This belief was all based on rumors and paranoia, essentially.
Regardless, 37 people were tried for these alleged and fabricated crimes. Of them, 31 were former prisoners at Dachau, 11 of which were sentenced to death and shot immediately. Three lucked out with mistrials (by some miracle); three more died during the investigations. Twenty were sent to Goli Otok, an island prison camp off the coast of present-day Croatia, where at least one of them died.
Slovenian Dachau Trials monument
So yes, deep in the Žale Cemetery is the Monument to the Victims of the Dachau Trials, erected in 1989, the same year the League of Communists in Slovenia “reversed the sentences.” It was designed by architect Fedja Košir, son of Mirko Košir, former Dachau inmate who died in 1951 at Goli Otok. Inscribed on it are the words (left):
I AM DEAD,
THOU ALIVE: EXPLAIN ME AND MY CAUSE
TO ALL THAT KNOW NOT.
…words borrowed from William Shakespeare’s Hamlet, and me, obeying them. And (right):
CENOTAPH
FOR THE VICTIMS OF THE DACHAU TRIALS
ZKS 1989
ZKS being the abbreviation for the League of Communists of Slovenia (Zveza Komunistov Slovenije).
- Žale Cemetery hours: 7am-7pm (October-March) and 7am-9pm (April-September)
- Admission: Free to visit
- For more information on the Dachau show trials, check out this page.
- This monument’s name in Sovenian is: Spomenik žrtvam dachauskih procesov.
4. Monument to Russian and Soviet Soldiers
Also within the confines of Žale Cemetery is the “Monument to the Sons of Russia and the Soviet Union who died on Slovenian soil in the First and Second World Wars.” Yes, that’s the full name. It consists of a semicircle of eight marble pillars each topped by a bronze crane (a symbol Russia associates with WWII), an eternal flame, and a memorial plaque.
The idea for the monument “came about” when Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Slovenia in 2011. It was carved by Russian sculptors and paid for by Russian donors. And yet, the monument is supposedly Slovenia’s way of thanking Red Army soldiers for their help in liberating Slovenia during World War II. Putin was on site when it was dedicated in 2016.
Do with that information what you will, but here’s what historian Keith Lowe says about Russian war monuments:
I can’t help feeling that there must be a renewed sense of instability, or vulnerability, which is driving Russians to insist ever more stridently upon their wartime heroism. For many Russians, the building of war memorials serves as a reminder of the status that their country once had, and perhaps also gives a sense of hope that, one day soon, Russia might rise again. The glorification of the war has become a central pillar of Vladimir Putin’s programme to forge a new sense of national identity.
Keith Lowe, Prisoners of History
- Žale Cemetery hours: 7am-7pm (October-March) and 7am-9pm (April-September)
- Admission: Free to visit
- For more information
- This monument’s name in Sovenian is: Spomenik Sinovom Rusije in Sovjetske zveze umrlih na slovenskih tleh v prvi in drugi svetovni vojni
5. Memorial to the Home Guard
Ljubljana’s Memorial to the Home Guard at Žale Cemetery is another of the controversial WWII sites in Ljubljana whose existence makes little sense.
The Slovene Home Guard was an anti-Communist (ergo, anti-Partisan) militia group that existed during World War II. Given its political leanings, its Slovenian members actually partnered up with Nazi Germany to help fulfill the Nazi agenda in Slovenia. And there’s a giant memorial to them near the entrance of Ljubljana’s Žale Cemetery.
If you’re wondering why this monument exists… your guess is as good as mine. There are tons of articles and pages out there criticizing it and the recent wreath-laying by the Prime Minister and the Slovenian Army, but almost no information as to why it exists in the first place.
Nevertheless, there it is. In the same cemetery as victims of the Nazi regime. An unsavory monument indeed, but still an interesting case study on the WWII sites in Ljubljana and Slovenia.
- Žale Cemetery hours: 7am-7pm (October-March) and 7am-9pm (April-September)
- Admission: Free to visit
- This monument’s name in Sovenian is: Spomenik padlim domobrancem
6. German War Cemetery
In a similar fashion, you’ll also find the German War Cemetery at Žale Cemetery. Normally, it’d be incredibly shocking to find the cemeteries of Nazi Germans literally among the graves of those who died at their hands. But these are the WWII sites in Ljubljana where nothing quite makes sense.
There are German/Nazi cemeteries in Normandy (I’ve been to one), but these graves are not part of, say, Normandy American Cemetery, nor would anyone ever dream of putting them there. But in Ljubljana, all are intertwined.
The German War Cemetery at Žale is very small at least. I’d call it more of a memorial space than a cemetery (even though there are supposedly more than 900 buried here). There’s a large cross memorial and two plaques in the center that read (in both German and Slovenian): “War dead of the Second World War rest here; remember them and the dead of all wars.” There are also a few plots with three cross grave markers around the central circle.
Look, I get it. (I talk about this more in my post on the Normandy German Cemetery La Cambe.) One can certainly argue that many of Germany’s soldiers were victims as well, forced to give their lives in the service of a bona fide maniac. War is a tragedy on all fronts, really. But to put these graves alongside those of their victims is ill-advised at best.
- Žale Cemetery hours: 7am-7pm (October-March) and 7am-9pm (April-September)
- Admission: Free to visit
- This monument’s name in Sovenian is: Nemško vojaško pokopališče
7. Austrian War Monument & Military Cemetery
Also inside Žale Cemetery you’ll find the Austrian War Monument and Austrian Military Cemetery. This one honors Austrian soldiers who died in Slovenia during both world wars. It was erected in 1962 by the Austrian Black Cross, the organization responsible for the construction and care of Austrian war memorials.
The main focal point is a sculpture of a bronze male figure, standing naked with his arms over his head, holding two halves of a broken sword.
Behind him is a large stone block with the inscription DEM VOLKERFRIEDEN (“Peace among the people” or the idea of societal peace) at the top and the phrase “To commemorate the fallen comrades of both world wars” in both German and Slovenian at the bottom. The memorial stone also features Austria’s national coat of arms surrounded by nine bronze regional coat of arms.
- Žale Cemetery hours: 7am-7pm (October-March) and 7am-9pm (April-September)
- Admission: Free to visit
- This monument’s name in Sovenian is: Avstrijsko vojaško pokopališče
8. Monument to the Internees
Sticking out of the surrounding trees is one of the most noticeable memorials at Žale Cemetery—the Monument to the Internees. It was designed by architect Fedja Košir and sculpted by Janez Boljka. Erected in 1965, it honors those who fought and died for Slovenia’s freedom against its Axis occupiers.
The sculpture is meant to resemble Slovenian prisoners trapped behind a barbed wire fence (representative of Ljubljana itself during World War II). From a distance, it’s intended to resemble a watchtower of a concentration camp.
While it appears to lack any kind of informative plaque or other such critical piece, there’s actually a large rock at the end of the lawn on the monument’s northern side that reads:
I fell and died in battle against the occupiers of Slovenia, 1941-1945
This monument is sometimes also referred to as the Memorial to Killed Civilians and/or the Monument to Hostages and Fighters.
9. Fighters and Hostages Memorial Park
The massive monument mentioned above is actually part of Žale Cemetery’s larger Fighters and Hostages Memorial Park. This part of the cemetery includes a number of eerie memorials dedicated to this historical population. There’s absolutely no information on this whatsoever on site, so just know that when you come to this part that that’s what this is.
Among the memorials are sculptures of a group of thin children around a fountain and a column of hostages, both by sculptor Zdenko Kalin.
Further north you’ll find the actual burying ground–the Cemetery of Warriors and Hostages. Unlike the rest of Žale Cemetery’s large, decorated gravesites, this part utilizes simple block grave markers with just the names and dates of those who fought for Slovenia’s liberation during World War II.
10. Path of Remembrance and Comradeship
The Path of Remembrance and Comradeship is a 20-mile walking trail that follows the perimeter of Ljubljana, outlining the former location of the barbed wire fence that encircled the city during the war.
This path is also known as the Green Ring, the Trail Along the Wire, or simply as PATH. The signs you’ll see along the trail say POT. Today, this path is a popular recreational trail consistently filled with walkers, bikers, and more. You can access it from just about anywhere in the city as there are no official starting points.
All along the path you’ll find informational signs about its history, memorial markers, and even the remnants of some Italian bunkers from where they once monitored the fence. Take your time and see how many of the memorials markers you can find at each of the locations of Italy’s 102 bunkers along the trail.
Every year on May 9th (Ljubljana’s national liberation holiday), large groups of people get together for a memorial walk along the Path of Remembrance and Comradeship.
Given the path’s total length, I only had time to walk a portion of it, but I highly recommend visiting this page to see many beautiful photos of the trail and its memorials as well as to get more information on it.
- Path of Remembrance hours: Always open
- Admission: Always free
- Its name in Sovenian is: Pot Spominov in Tovarištva
11. Gramozna Jama – the Gravel Pit
Just off the Trail of Remembrance and Comradeship up near Žale Cemetery is the Gramozna Jama. This ‘Gravel Pit’ served as the location of a mass execution site where Ljubljana’s Italian occupiers shot and killed (at least) 185 Slovenian hostages between 1942-1943. Those killed were chosen at random during arbitrary street arrests.
Today, there’s a memorial complex here (opened in 1957) that includes a bronze sculptor of a dying hostage at the end of a sunken path. This page includes a full list of the known executions and victims.
- Hours: Always open
- Admission: Free
- This monument’s name in Slovenian is: Gramozna Jama
12. The Tomb of National Heroes
Created in 1949, the Tomb of National Heroes consists of a tomb and sarcophagus-shaped monument to Yugoslavia’s national World War II heroes. It honors the various resistance organizers, military commanders, and politicians that helped facilitate Slovenia’s liberation.
It’s located under the shade of the trees just across the street from Republic Square, the largest public square in Ljubljana. For a full list of who is buried within, check out this page.
- Hours: Always open
- Admission: Free
- This monument’s name in Slovenian is: Grobnica narodnih herojev
13. Stumbling Stones
Stumbling stones are the tiniest of the WWII sites in Ljubljana. Given their size, they’re easy to miss but can actually be found all over Europe, in 21 countries, with many here in Slovenia’s capital as well.
These memorials are small brass stones that each honor one particular Holocaust victim. They’re engraved with such information as the victim’s name, birth and death dates, which camps they were deported to or whether they were killed on site, and other known information. They are inlaid on the sidewalk outside the entrance of that person’s last known residence.
There are a handful of these around Ljubljana, and you can find the ones I personally visited at:
- Resljeva cesta 8
- Igriška ulica 2
- Cankarjevo nabrežje 1
Stumbling stones are the work of German artist Gunter Demnig. They’re known at Stolpersteine in German. For more information on Europe’s stumbling stones, check out this page.
14. Ljubljana Castle
At the highest point in Ljubljana you’ll find Ljubljana Castle. This medieval hilltop fortress dates back to the 11th or 12th century. Over its time it’s been used as a military stronghold, a barracks and military hospital, a prison, a residential complex for poor families, and today it’s a tourist attraction, of course.
During World War II, Ljubljana Castle once again served as a prison, first run by the Italians and then by the Germans. But you won’t actually find much about this when you get here, unfortunately.
Instead, be sure to visit the castle’s Exhibition of Slovenian History. This permanent exhibition area walks you through Slovenia’s history through artifacts, videos, photos, and more. There’s a small section on Slovenia during WWII that’s pretty interesting.
You can see a partisan puppet (puppetry is huge here!), watch some interesting video footage, and even play a game where you have to escape fascist Italian soldiers while attempting to deface all the Mussolini posters in town. In case that’s something you’ve been itching to try.
- Hours: There are many different hours for the castle, check them out here.
- Admission: €12, full price adult admission
- The castle’s name in Slovenian is: Ljubljanski Grad
15. Monument to the Revolution
Adding to the WWII sites in Ljubljana is the Monument to the Revolution, another larger-than-life monument dedicated to the Yugoslav Partisan’s victory over Axis forces during World War II (aka: the National Liberation War).
According to the Spomenik Database, Ljubljana’s Monument to the Revolution commemorates the Yugoslav Partisan WWII victory, but also honors “the Socialist Revolution that defeated the occupying and oppressive fascist forces who had divided up Slovenia.”
This large bronze sculpture, the work of sculptor Drago Tršar, represents figures with outstretched arms rising upwards. It also features parts for a fountain and pool as well as an eternal flame but none of those have ever been used. You can find this 19-ton monument on the edge of Republic Square.
- Hours: Always open
- Admission: Always free
- This monument’s name in Slovenian is: Spomenik revolucije
16. Monument to the Victims of All Wars
Another interesting item on the list of WWII sites in Ljubljana is the Monument to the Victims of All Wars, one of the city’s newest (2013). Located at Congress Square, this monument is barely a monument at all.
It consists of two huge but plain white walls, an empty space if you will. There aren’t any sculptures or memorials or words. Despite this lack of imagery and information, this memorial actually says a lot about Slovenian war history and modern interpretation of it.
But, I can’t break this down for you any better than historian Keith Lowe can. Chapter 13 of his latest book Prisoners of History: What monuments to World War II tell us about our history and ourselves does an amazing job of explaining the meaning and implications behind this memorial. So, read that, then visit the memorial.
- Hours: Always open
- Admission: Always free
- This monument’s name in Slovenian is: Spomenik žrtvam vseh vojn
17. Monument to Franc Rozman-Stane
In downtown Ljubljana at the corner of Slovenska cesta and Šubičeva ulica you’ll find the imposing Monument to Franc Rozman Stane. Franc Rozman Stane was a commander of the Slovene Partisans and viewed as a national hero. He died on November 7, 1944 as a result of injuries he sustained during an explosion while testing a weapon.
This list contains just a portion of the many WWII sites in Ljubljana. While museums are in short supply, it seems like there are countless memorials and monuments to the war here (but very little information, if any at all). Keep your eyes open while exploring Ljubljana and I’m sure you’ll come across a monument or two.
Where to stay in Ljubljana
If you’re still looking for a great place to stay during your trip to Ljubljana, I have a couple of recommendations. In June 2023 I stayed in two different places in Ljubljana, both of which I really enjoyed and would recommend completely.
Hotel Slamič – Great location just a short walk from the center and the train station, incredible breakfast, big rooms, delightful place to stay all around! Book your room at Hotel Slamič here on Booking.com.
NEU Residences – Another great hotel in a perfect location near everything. Big apartment-style rooms, beautiful rooftop pool, café on site, highly recommend. Book your room at NEU Residences here on Booking.com.
Books to read before visiting the WWII sites in Ljubljana
There aren’t a ton of books on World War II history in Slovenia, but there are a few good ones that will tell you mostly what you need to know. Check these out:
- Prisoners of History by Keith Lowe (2020) – Specifically, Chapter 13 about Slovenia’s Monument to the Victims of All Wars, as mentioned earlier
- Slovenia 1945: Memories of Death and Survival After World War II by John Corsellis and Marcus Ferrar (2010) – What happened after WWII in Slovenia explains a lot about what happened during WWII here.
- The Italian Army in Slovenia: Strategies of Antipartisan Repression, 1941-1943 by Amedeo Osti Guerrazzi (2013)
- My Life Under Totalitarianism: 1941-1991 by Peter Staric (2015)
- To Walk with the Devil: Slovene Collaboration and Axis Occupation, 1941-1945 by Gregor J. Kranjc (2013)
- War Changes Everything: The Character, Courage, and Survival of a Slovenian Girl and Her Father During World War II by Stasha Seaton (2014)
Need a rental car while you’re here? Check out the best rental car deals in Slovenia here.
What to pack for your trip to Slovenia
To prepare for your trip to the WWII sites in Ljubljana, don’t forget to pack the following:
- Comfortable walking shoes. Many of the WWII sites in Slovenia are in the woods that require trail walking and light hiking to get to. Be sure to bring some solid nature-worthy shoes.
- European plug adaptors to charge your devices here.
- Slovenia guidebook for all your other sightseeing. Here are options from Lonely Planet and Rick Steves.
- This must-have Slovenia customs and culture guide. I bring these pocket-sized guides on every trip I take. This ones gives such good insight into the nuances of traveling in Slovenia.
Enjoy your time in Slovenia. Be sure to follow Destination: WWII on Instagram and check out my “Slovenia” highlights to follow my visit.
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11+ Unique WWII Sites in Slovenia You Shouldn’t Miss