Final operations in Slovenia

The Battle of Poljana was one of the last armed clashes of World War II in Europe. It was fought on 14 and 15 May 1945 near the village of Poljana in the municipality of Prevalje, northern Slovenia, in the Meža river valley close to the Austrian border. It is not a ticketed attraction but a place of remembrance for anyone interested in twentieth-century history.

What happened at Poljana?

Germany surrendered unconditionally on 8 May 1945, yet fighting went on in the Balkans. A column of more than 30,000 Axis troops was retreating west toward Austria, then under British control. It included German Wehrmacht units, the armed forces of the Independent State of Croatia, the Montenegrin National Army and the Slovene Home Guard. Fighters from other collaborationist formations joined it, along with civilians fleeing the communist takeover.

Units of the Yugoslav People's Army, Tito's partisans, blocked the way. The clash at Poljana capped a series of earlier skirmishes and ended with the column's surrender on 15 May 1945.

Why does this place matter?

Poljana is often described as the setting of the last fighting of the Second World War on European soil. In Slovenia the memory of these events remains alive and contested. After the surrender, many prisoners and refugees died, and their remains lie in mass graves around the region. One of them is southwest of the village, between the road and the Meža river. The story of the battle is told in Risto Stojanovič's book "Poljana – prizorišče zadnjih bojev druge svetovne vojne v Evropi", published in 2010 and reprinted since, including in 2015. Anniversaries have been marked in Prevalje, among them the 65th in 2010.

How to visit the area

There is little tourist infrastructure. The surroundings are quiet countryside in the Meža valley, a good short stop on a drive between Slovenia and southern Austria. Read about the events before you go, because the landscape alone does not tell the story. The site calls for respect, since it is tied to the deaths of many people.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Poljana? In the municipality of Prevalje, in the Carinthian part of Slovenia near the Austrian border. Coordinates: 46.544 N, 14.874 E.

When was the battle? On 14 and 15 May 1945, a week after Germany's capitulation.

Who fought? The Yugoslav People's Army on one side, and an Axis column of German, Croatian, Montenegrin and Slovene units plus civilians on the other.

Where was the column heading? To Austria, occupied by the British, where its members hoped to find safety.

Is it a good stop for history enthusiasts? Yes. It is one of the symbolic places marking the end of the war in Europe, worth a visit when travelling through Carinthia and around Prevalje.