Brce

About

Brce (pronounced [ˈbəɾstsɛ]; German: Berdze, Italian: Berze) is a small settlement in the hills west of Ilirska Bistrica in the Inner Carniola region of Slovenia.

Name: The name Brce (now a feminine plural through dialect development) is derived from Brdca (< *Bьrdьca), which was a plural form of the neuter diminutive common noun *bьrdьce (< *bьrdo) 'little hill'. The name thus refers to a local geographical feature.

History: During the Second World War, Partisan units based in the Brkini Hills maintained a cache of arms and medical supplies in the village. The Partisan committee for the Ilirska Bistrica zone was temporarily headquartered in bunkers in the village. On 4 May 1945, German forces surprised a Partisan unit in the village and killed 45 of its members.

Mass graves: Brce is the site of four known mass graves or unmarked graves from the end of the Second World War. They all contain the remains of German soldiers from the 97th Corps that fell at the beginning of May 1945. The Church Mass Grave (Slovene: Grobišče ob cerkvi) is located on the north side of the village church by two piles of stones and bricks. It contains the remains of eight soldiers. The Valley...