Murder of Podturen teacher Slavko Kukolj in 1945

Autor analizira ubojstvo učitelja Slavka Kukolja u selu Podturen u Međimurju 1945. godine. Ovaj zločin sve do danas nije zadovoljavajuće objašnjen, uključujući i određenje samoga ubojice i njegovih motiva. Slijedom toga u suvremenim opisima navedenoga događaja pravi ubojica Zvonimir Panić je ne samo amnestiran od svojega čina, već je proglašen i mučenikom borbe za hrvatsku nacionalnu nezavisnost. To je bilo moguće, jer su dosadašnji pisci o ovom događaju pratili i ocjenjivali jedino tragičan kraj Panića u Kazneno popravnom domu Lepoglava. Međutim, obradom ovog slučaja iz različitih kuteva autor dokazuje da je spomenuti zaključak potpuno pogrešan, a da su prave žrtve članovi obitelji Kukolj i Hajdarović. Osobito je teško stradala potpuno nevina obitelj Hajdarović, čiji progonitelji nisu nikada kažnjeni za zlo koje su im učinili. Osim razrješenja pojedinačnog događaja njegovim uklapanjem u širi kontekst vidljivo je da je u razdoblju nakon komunističkog preuzimanja vlasti u Međimurju politika imala preveliki utjecaj na rad svih institucija, kao i život pojedinaca općenito. Kako je nova vlast u početku slijedila staljinistički model oblikovanja društva, za jedan klasični zločin iz koristoljublja sustavno su se tražili politički motivi i opravdanja. Jednom pokrenuti niz sumnji uzrokovao je progon čitavih obitelji, kao i političke i društvene posljedice koje imaju odjeka i u sadašnjosti. Stoga u zaključku autor poziva na objektivniji pristup pitanju poratnih žrtava Drugoga svjetskoga rata kako bi se postigle ne samo zadovoljavajuće povijesne ocjene, već i prestalo prenošenje trauma kroz više generacija.The author analyses the murder of teacher Slavko Kukolj in the village of Podturen in Međimurje in 1945. Till present time, this crime has not been suitably explained, including the identification of the murderer and his motives. Investigating this case, in existing descriptions of the mentioned event, the real murder Zvonimir Panić was not only granted amnesty for his crime, but was also declared a martyr of the struggle for Croatian national independence. This was possible, since until now, writers about this event followed and assessed only Panić’s tragic end at the Criminal correctional institution in Lepoglava. However, analyzing this case from different angles, the author, proves that the mentioned conclusion is completely wrong, and that real victims are members of the families Kukolj and Hajdarović. Struck particularly hard was the Hajdarović family, entirely innocent, whose persecutors were never punished for the crime they have committed. Besides the resolution of this single case, fitting it in a wider context clearly showed that in the period after the communist government takeover in Međimurje, the political authorities had a much too large influence on all institutions’ work activities as well as, in general, the lives of individuals. Since, in the beginning, the new government followed Stalin’s model of society formation, for a classic crime of self-interest, they systematically looked for political motives and justifications. Once a sequence of doubts was launched, it caused the persecution of entire families, as well as political and social consequences that even in present time still resonate. Therefore, in the conclusion, the author calls for a more objective approach in regards to World War II victims, in order to accomplish, not just, more satisfactory historical evaluations, but also stop the trauma that has been incurred from generation to generation