Born: 1922 (Ljubljana, Slovenia)
Died: 1945
Biography:
Majda Vrhovnik (nom de guerre Lojzka) was born on 14 April 1922 in Ljubljana, Slovenia. She was the younger sister of Vladimir Vrhovnik, also known as Volodja or Mirko, who was a member of the Communist Party. Majda’s family had moved to Ljubljana from Vienna after the First World War.
After completing her secondary education, Majda enrolled in the Faculty of Medicine at the University of Ljubljana. During her time as a student, she actively participated in the Slovene Club and the student revolutionary movement. In 1940, she was accepted as a member of the Communist Party of Yugoslavia.
When the occupation of Yugoslavia began, Majda immediately joined the underground resistance movement. She became a courier for Tone Tomšič, the organizational secretary of the Communist Party of Slovenia’s Central Committee. Her activities caught the attention of the occupying forces, and she was sentenced to life in prison in absentia. To pressure her into revealing information, her parents were held as hostages for several months. Despite the risks, Majda chose to remain in Ljubljana.
As part of her underground work, Majda was involved in setting up an underground printshop in Ljubljana. She also served as a courier, carrying manuscripts for the underground printshops codenamed Podmornica (submarine) and Tunel (tunnel). With her brother’s assistance, she established a bunker where she reproduced copies of underground publications for nine months.
In January 1944, Majda was sent to the Slovenian Littoral, where she became an instructor for the Young Communist League of Yugoslavia (SKOJ) in Idrija. She also conducted training courses for the SKOJ Regional Committee for the Littoral. However, she quickly volunteered to work in Carinthia.
In Carinthia, Majda became the secretary of the District Committee of the Communist Party of Slovenia for Mežica. She crossed the Drava River and journeyed through the Sattnitz Mountains, initially working in the Völkermarkt area and then in Klagenfurt. Disguised as a peasant girl, she spent several months in Klagenfurt, organizing committees for the Liberation Front, engaging in espionage, and publishing illegal materials for the city.
Unfortunately, Majda’s cover was compromised, and she was discovered by the Gestapo, likely due to betrayal. On 28 April 1945, she was arrested in Klagenfurt. A week later, on 4 May 1945, Majda Vrhovnik was executed by the Gestapo, just days before the liberation of Klagenfurt.
Majda Vrhovnik’s dedication to the resistance movement and her unwavering commitment to the cause of freedom made her a revered figure among her comrades. Her bravery and sacrifice earned her the posthumous title of a people’s hero of Yugoslavia.
Awards:
– People’s Hero of Yugoslavia (posthumous)