Amongst the many efforts to reach national reconciliation encouraged by the democratisation and Slovenian independence processes in the 1980’s, a group of public workers was formed united by the initiative to set up a symbolic landmark of the reconciliation process at Ljubljana’s Žale Cemetery.
In 1989, a ‘Linden Tree of Reconciliation’ was planted at Žale, placed into the soil that came from Kočevski Rog, Teharje and Podutik – sites of WW II and post-war massacres – to serve as a reminder of the events and times when man was not humane to fellow man. On 15 June 1990, the group, which called itself ‘United at the Linden Tree of Reconciliation’ and whose most active member was Mr Stanislav Klep, presented its Declaration on National Reconciliation underneath the tree.
In 1991, the United at the Linden Tree of Reconciliation Group proclaimed the 15th of June as the Day of Guilt, Forgiveness and Reconciliation to honour the memory of the victims of post-war massacres; on this day, annual commemorative ceremonies take place underneath the Linden Tree of Reconciliation.