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1943 – From Kiustendil to Sofia

The deportation of 7122 Jews form Macedonia, 4221 from Thrace and 185 from the Pirot area commenced on March 4th, 1943, directly on the trains via Yugoslavia or on steamship from Lom via Bulgaria to the Polish camps. In order to complete the required number up to 20 000 the government resorted to an operation conducted on March 9th, 1943, in the towns of Kyustendil, Dupnitsa, Gorna Djumaya, Plovdiv, and Pazardjik, to collect Jews by force, where the so-called undesirable elements were to be deported according to predefined lists provided by the Commissariat. As a result of the famous Kyustendil operation led by Petar Mihalev, Asen Syuichmezov, Vladimir Kurtev, and Ivan Momchilov, and Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly Dimitar Peshev’s resolute intervention the order to deport the Jews from the old territories was cancelled on March 9th, 1943. On March 17th, 1943, 43 deputies signed their names under the written protest by Dimitar Peshev to Prime Minister Bogdan Filov regarding the anti-Jewish policy conducted by the government. Dimitar Peshev was censured as deputy chairman of the National Assembly on March 26th, 1943.

Vladimir Kurtev, member of the Kyustendil Delegation.

Central National Archives, Library


Pictures of deputies to the XXV National Assembly.

Central National Archives,

Fund 173K, Inventory 6, Record Unit 3136.


Petar Mihalev, Deputy to the XXV Ordinary National Assembly, one of the delegates who visited Deputy Chairman of the National Assembly Dimitar Peshev.

Central National Archives, Library


Dimitar Peshev, Deputy Chairman of the XXV Ordinary National Assembly.

Central National Archives,

Fund 1335K, Inventory 1, Record Unit 208, Sheet 4


Decree by the Council of Ministers, Minutes No. 32 on the deportation of 20 000 Jews from the new and old territories of the country, the termination of their Bulgarian citizenship and the alienation of their property.

Sofia, March 2nd, 1943
Central National Archives,

Fund 284K, Inventory 1, Record Unit 8105, Sheet 32, 33


Letter of Protest from Deputy Chairman of the XXV Ordinary National Assembly Dimitar Peshev and 42 deputies to Prime Minister Bogdan Filov against the internal policy and the attempts of the government to deport Jews outside Bulgarian borders.

Sofia, March 17th, 1943
Central National Archives,

Fund 250B, Inventory 1, Record Unit 47, Sheets 11, 12

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