Državni arhiv u Dubrovniku | Arhivski sabirni centar Korčula Lastovo

State Archives in Dubrovnik | Archive center Korčula-Lastovo

Koraci u smrt Ivko Petković Kovač 22.6.1943. Steps to Death Ivko Petković Kovač June 22, 1943 Izložba povodom Međunarodnog dana arhiva

An exhibition on the occasion of the International Archives Day

22. lipnja – 24. srpnja | Osnovna škola Vela Luka

June 22 – July 24, 2015 | Vela Luka Elementary School

Korišteni izvori Sources: Državni arhiv u Dubrovniku - Arhivski sabirni centar Korčula-Lastovo: fond Kotarski sud u Blatu, Mjesni narodni odbor Vela Luka; Matični ured Vela Luka; Privatna zbirka Olga Petković, Mirjana Puntarec, Jerko Žuvela Bakulić, Tonko Barčot (Vela Luka) i Izrael Dolev (Izrael).

Naslovnica: fotografija Ivka Petkovića iz 1931. - Jutro kod Izvanjskog škoja i autoportret Ivka Petkovića The cover shows a photo by Ivko Petković in 1931 - Moring at Izvanjski škoj (Outer islet) and self-portrait of Ivko Petković

Fotografije: Ivko Petković i nepoznati fotografiPhotos by Ivko Petković and unknown photographers

Nakladnik Publisher: Državni arhiv u DubrovnikuZa nakladnika For the publisher: Frane ČizmićAutor izložbe i teksta Author of the exhibition and the text: Tonko BarčotPrijevod Translation: Maja ŠunjićOblikovanje kataloga Graphic design: Darko Fritz Tisak Print: Alfa-2 DubrovnikNaklada Copies: 200 komada

Dubrovnik, lipanj 2015.

KATALOG / CATALOGUE1. Kovač The Petković Kovač family2. Poduzetni i inventivni Entrepreneurial end ingenuis3. Djetinjstvo Childhood4. U Poplatu At Poplat5. Intelektualac An intelectual6. U Dubrovniku In Dubrovnik7. Fotograf A photographer8. Prijatelj A friend9. Ivkove ljubavi Ivko's romances10. Ljeta u Veloj Luci Summers in Vela Luka11. Tuberkuloza – obiteljska anamneza Tuberculosis – family case history12. Stariji brat The older brother13. Upravitelj imanja i ribarski poduzetnik An estate manager and fishing entrepreneur14. Antifašist An anti-fascist15. Jačanje partizanskog otpora i talijanske represije Partisan resistance and Italian repression in 194316. Otpor i umorstvo 22.6.1943. Resistance and murder on June 22, 1943

REKONSTRUKCIJA JEDNOG ZLOČINA

U noći 22. lipnja 1943. talijanski karabinjeri su u Veloj Luci tražili istaknutog komunističkog aktivista. Ne pronašavši ga, odveli su 30-godišnjeg Ivka Petkovića Kovača prema groblju. Nakon što se on u jednom trenutku zaustavio i odbijao poći dalje, ubili su ga i ostavili ležati na putu čitav dan. Uslijedit će i druge civilne žrtve na zapadnom dijelu otoka Korčule s kojima se talijanska vlast željela osvetiti za karabinjere stradale u sukobu s partizanima.Tko je bio Ivko Petković i kako se našao na putu smrti? Pravnik po struci, vlasnik ribarica i up-ravitelj imanja imućne obitelji, koju su uzdrmale prerane smrti, očevi dugovi i Zakon o agraru, početkom rata počinje potpomagati antifašistički pokret. Te kobne noći družio se sa svojim prijateljem, mjesto kojeg će poći u smrt.Izložba „Koraci u smrt“ pokušaj je svođenja političkih i ideoloških prepucavanja na temu II. svjetskog rata, koja su danas u Hrvatskoj još intenzivnija i strastvenija, na priču o osobnoj tragediji. Dakako da pritom nije bilo moguće, niti bi to bilo poželjno, izbjeći ideološku dimen-ziju tadašnjeg života i rata. I ne samo zbog toga što se na taj dan obilježava Dan antifašističke borbe u Hrvatskoj. Bez sustezanja potrebno je ustvrditi da se zločin dogodio i da je Ivko Petković Kovač tog 22. lipnja 1943. bio žrtva. Bez obzira koliko je bio duboko involviran u aktivnosti komunističkog pokreta otpora, on je smaknut bez suđenja i bez stvarne krivice za smrti karabinjera koje su prethodile. Dojam tragičnosti pojačava činjenica što je bio tek zamjenska žrtva.S druge strane, njegovo potpomaganje pokreta i pasivni otpor kojeg je pružio tog kobnog dana, ocrtavaju jednu dojmljivu ratnu sliku koja se ne bi smjela zaboraviti. Njegova spremnost da izađe iz sigurnosti dobrostojeće kuće, da se uključi u antifašistički pokret te sebe izloži opasnosti i spasi drugoga, govori nam o čvrstini njegovog karaktera. Ivko, pritom, nije bio lakovjerni bonvivan koji nije upoznao nedaće i odgovornost, niti mladac koji je srljao i bespogovorno usvajao tuđe zvučne ideje. Bio je intelektulac, širokih nazora i nenasilne ćudi, koji je mogao racionalno procijeniti tadašnju situaciju. Odlučio je ne biti konformist i ne stajati po strani. Dakako da Ivko nije bio iznimka, niti je cilj ove izložbe podignuti ga na svojevrsni pi-jadestal, a druge gurnuti u sjenu. Tog dana još je strašnije smaknut jedan otac čiji su isključivi krimen bila dva sina u partizanima, a uslijedit će još nevinije žrtve i tragičnije priče. No, isto tako, nedostupnost dokumentacije kojom bi te sudbine oslikali, nije razlog da ne ispričamo priču o Ivku.Ideja ove izložbe bila je pokušati rekonstruirati događanja 22. lipnja 1943. O čemu je Ivko razmišljao na tom putu od svoje kuće do mjesta smrti? Jesu li se i njemu tada pred očima odvrtile slike dotadašnjeg života, obiteljskih nedaća, prijatelja i djevojaka, vlastitih uspjeha i neostvarenih snova, kao što je izložba i koncipirana, možemo tek nagađati.Prošlo je već puno godina i danas je sve manje ljudi koji mogu posvjedočiti o životu Ivka Pet-kovića i tim tragičnim ratnim danima. No, u svakoj riječi preostalih živih svjedoka, osjetio sam ushit. Dok su pričali o njegovoj svestranosti, sveznadarstvu, vedrini, drugarstvu i dobrohotnosti, širio im se osmijeh na licu. I ja sam ga, 72 godine poslije njegove smrti, jasno vidio u sjaju njihovih očiju.

RECONSTRUCTING A CRIME

In the night of June 22, 1943 the Italian carabinieri were searching a prominent communist activist in Vela Luka. Not finding him, they took with them 30-year-old Ivko Petković Kovač and headed to the graveyard. After he stopped, refusing to go any further, they killed him and left him lying in the street all through the night and next day. Other civilian victims on the western part of the island of Korčula followed soon. They were used to retaliate for the deaths of carabinieri previously killed by the partisans. Who was Ivko Petković and how did get on the path of death? He was a lawyer by profes-sion, but he also owned fishing boats and managed a landed property of his family that was shaken by early deaths, father`s debts and the Agrarian law. At the beginning of the war he started to support the anti-Fascist movement. That ominous night Ivko was in the company of his friend for whom he will die. The exhibition “Steps to death“ represents an attempt to divert ever-intense and passionate political and ideological disagreements in Croatia about WW II to the level of a personal story. Naturally, this process does not imply avoiding the ideological dimension of the contemporary life and war, nor it wishes to do so. Not only because the date of his death coincides with the celebration of the Anti-Fascist Struggle Day in Croatia. The reality of the crime is self-evident: on June 22, Ivko Petković Kovač was a victim. Notwithstanding his active role in the Communist resistance movement, he was executed without a trial even though he had not partaken in the prior execution of the Italian soldiers. The fact that Ivko was only a substitute intensifies the tragic impression. On the other hand, his support to the resistance movement and use of passive resistance portray an impressive war image which should not be forgotten. His readiness to leave the security and comfortable circumstances only to join the anti-fascist movement and expose oneself to danger in order save the other, all speak strongly in favour of his character. Ivko was neither a gullible dandy without any knowledge of the ways of the world nor a young man who would rush into or unquestioningly accept the dazzling ideas. He was a non-violent and broad-minded intellectual, able to rationally appraise the situation. He decided not to conform and stand aside. Ivko was not the only one of such kind. The aim of the exhibition is not to put him on a pedestal, and push the others aside. On the same day also executed was a father whose only crime was that his two sons had joined the partisans. Even more tragic stories and innocent victims will follow. That lack of documents that would help in recon-structing their fates should not prevent us in telling Ivko`s story. The underlying idea is an attempt to reconstruct the events of June 22, 1943. What was Ivko thinking about whilst walking from his house to the place of execution? We can only guess whether the last pictures rolling before his eyes were images of the life he lead, family mis-fortunes, friends and girlfriends, his own successes and unrealised dreams, as portrayed by this exhibition.Many years have passed and fewer people can give their account of the life of Ivko Petković and the tragic days. But in every word of the living witnesses I could feel the enthusiasm. While they were talking about his versatility, knowledge, cheerfulness, friendship and benevolence, the smile on their face was getting bigger. And 72 years after his death, I could see him in the glitter of their eyes.

Ivkovi roditelji Jelka i Ćiril Petković Kovač, 1912.

Ivko's parents Jelka and Ćiril Petković Kovač, 1912

Na plesu u Dubrovniku, 1932

A dance party in Dubrovnik, 1932

Težaci na Petkovićevom imanju u Poplatu, 19.3.1932.

Farmhands at the Petković Kovač homestead in Poplat, March 19, 1932

Na kupalištu Vranac

Public bathing establishment at Vranac