Categories

Milutin Živković, PhD
Institute for Contemporary History 
Belgrade, Republic of Serbia

 

“LORD” OF STARA RAŠKA: WAR BIOGRAPHY OF SS-STANDARTENFÜHRER KARL VON KREMPLER (1939–1945)

Vol. XLII, 2/2024, pp. 313-338
https://doi.org/10.29362/ist20veka.2024.2.ziv.313-338

 

ABSTRACT/RESUME:

The life of Karl von Krempler could be roughly divided into four parts. His childhood was probably marked by the frequent change of his residing address due to the job of his father. In the course of the First World War and interwar period, he became a mature, business and family man, who, nevertheless, was often “on the road”. The beginning of the Second World War marked a new period for von Krempler and it was the very period which left the deepest impact on his life. Emerging from the anonymity in the spring of 1942, in the period of two years only, he became one of the most powerful people of that time. As the “sovereign” of Stara Raška, he was ruling the destinies of a great number of people beyond the usual practice of the war hierarchy of the Third Reich. Krempler’s glory did not last for a long time. The remaining question is whether he really wanted it? Therefore, under the auspices of Austrian Alps, in the anonymity, as the ongoing war criminal, he spent the last years of his life. Nevertheless, it cannot be said that he was hiding during those years, since he often travelled around Europe with his real identity. Was he protected and if he was, who protected him from the Yugoslav authorities who marked him as a war criminal? This question remains unanswered, waiting for the future generations of historians to find an answer for it.

 

KEYWORDS: Krempler, Stara Raška, Bosnia, Belgrade, Sjenica, Muslims, Serbs, Germans, Chetniks, Muslim Militias

 

REFERENCES:

  • Balšić, Radojko. Ljudi i događaji sela Buđeva i Bioca sa okolinom. Gornji Milanovac: Dositej, 2005.
  • Bugarel, Gzavije. Handžar divizija. Waffen-SS u Bosni 1943–1945. Sarajevo: Udruženje za modernu historiju, 2021.
  • Ćuković, Mirko. Sandžak. Beograd: NOLIT, 1964.
  • Gledović, Bogdan and Edib Hasanagić. Pribojski kraj u Drugom svetskom ratu 1941–1945. Priboj: SUBNOR, 2011.
  • Karaula, Željko. “Prilog za biografiju vođe muslimanske milicije u Sandžaku Sulejmana Pačariza (1895–1945?)”, ALMANAH – Časopis za proučavanje, prezentaciju i zaštitu kulturno-istorijske baštine Bošnjaka/Muslimana, br. 91–92, (2023), 55–124.
  • Krizman, Bogdan. NDH između Hitlera i Musolinija. Zagreb: Globus, 1986.
  • Lakić, Zoran. Partizanska autonomija Sandžaka 1943–1945. (ZAVNO Sandžaka – dokumenta). Bijelo Polje: Libertas, 1992.
  • Lepre, Geogre. Himmler’s Bosnian division. The Waffen SS Handschar division 1943–1945. Atglen: Schiffer military history, 1997.
  • Milošević, Srećko. Prijepoljska bitka. Beograd: NOLIT, 1964.
  • Motadel, David. Islam and Nazi Germany’s War. Cambridge: Harward University Press, 2014. DOI: https://doi.org/10.4159/harvard.9780674736009
  • Nemačka obaveštajna služba, tom V. Beograd: Služba državne bezbednost FNRJ, 1958.
  • Nemačka obaveštajna služba, tom IV. Beograd: Služba državne bezbednosti FNRJ, 1959.
  • Nemačka obaveštajna služba, tom VIII. Beograd: Služba državne bezbednosti FNRJ, 1956.
  • Nojbaher, Herman. Specijalni zadatak Balkan. Beograd: Službeni list, 2004.
  • Slavko Odić. “Njemačke pripreme na Balkanu pred kapitulaciju Italije”. Vojnoistorisjki glasnik, br. 4, (1965), 23–35.
  • Redžić, Enver. Muslimansko autonomaštvo i 13. SS divizija: autonomija Bosne i Hercegovine i Hitlerov Treći Rajh. Sarajevo: Svejtlost, 1987.
  • Rikmenspoel, Marc. Waffen-SS Encyclopedia. Bedford: Aberjona Press, 2004.
  • Ristanović, Rade. Beogradski ravnogorci. Jugoslovenska vojska u otadžbini i Ravnogorski pokret u okipiranom Beogradu 1941–1944. Beograd: Institut za savremenu istoriju, 2020. DOI: https://doi.org.10.29362/2404.2020.ris
  • Tomanić, Boris. Preokret: Jugoslavija i Bugarska u završnoj fazi Drugog svetskog rata 1943/1944–1945/1946. Beograd: Institut za savremenu istoriju, Catena Mundi, 2023. DOI: https://doi.org/10.29362/2023.2879.tom
  • Trifković, Gaj. „Brandenburg“ vs Jugoslavija 1941–1945. Vojnoistorijski glasnik, br. 2, (2021), 84–120.
  • Tucović, Radosav. „Organizacija i razvoj policije nacističke Nemačke u okupiranoj Srbiji (1941–1944)“. U: Drugi svetski rat: 75 godina kasnije. Urednici Dalibor Denda, Bojan B. Dimitrijević, Dmitar Tasić, 339–366. Beograd: Institut za strategijska istraživanja, Institut za noviju istoriju Srbije, Institut za savremenu istoriju, 2021.
  • Verhas, Mario, Mikulčić, Božidar. „Handžar”. Borbeni put 13. SS gorske divizije. Borbeni put 21. SS divizije „Skenderbeg”. Borbeni put 23. SS divizije „Kama”. Zagreb: Despot infinitus, 2018.
  • Zaugg, Franziska. Rekrutierungen fur die Waffen-SS in Sudosteuropa. Ideen, Ideale und Realitaten einer Vielvolkerarmee. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter, 2021. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110730777
  • Zaugg, Franziska. Albanische Muslime in der Waffen SS. Von ’Grosalbanien’ cur Division ’Skenderbeg’. Padeborn: Ferdinand Schoningh, 2016. DOI: https://doi.org/10.30965/9783657784363
  • Zdravkovski, Aleksander. The Sandžak of Novi Pazar. Milets, Nations, Empires. London: Lexington Books, 2022.
  • Zločini nacističkih divizija na prostoru Bosne i Hercegovinne u Drugom svetskom ratu. Draga Mastilović. Istočno Sarajevo: Institut istorijskih nauka, 2023.
  • Živković, Milutin. Između ’Velike Albanije’ i okupirane Srbije. Novi Pazar, Tutin i Ibarski Kolašina (1941–1944). Leposavić: Institut za srpsku kulturu, 2018.
  • Živković, Milutin. „Integrisanje Velike Albanije. Albansko-muslimanski napadi na Srbe u Štavičkom, Deževskom i Sjeničkom srezu u jesen 1943. godine“. Vojnoistorijski glasnik, br. 2, (2017), 185–203.
  • Živković, Milutin. “Muslims from Stara Raska as the members of special Brandenburg division”. Naša prošlost, 21, (2022), 81–97.
  • Živković, Milutin. „Od okupatora do saveznika. Prelazak divizija „Venecija“ i „Taurinense“ na stranu JVuO i NOVJ posle kapitulacije Italije“. Tokovi istorije, br. 1, (2022), 101–131. DOI: https://doi.org/10.31212/tokovi.2022.1.zvk.101-129
  • Živković, Milutin. Stara Raška pod italijanskom okupacijom. tom II. Beograd: Institut za savremenu istoriju, Catena Mundi, 2020.
  • Živković, Milutin, Ristanović, Rade. „Stradanje staroraških Srba i muslimana u Drugom svetskom ratu (1941–1945)“. U: Civilne žrtve Drugog svetskog rata. Urednici Marija Stanković, Aleksej Jurjevič Bezugoljni. 287–315. Kragujevac: Spomen park „Kragujevački oktobar“, 2023.
  • Yeger, Мark. Allgemeine-SS. The Commands, Units and Leaders of General SS. Atglen: Schiffer Publishing, 1997.