Karel Destovnik

Kajuh was born in the town of Šoštanj[5] in Slovenian Styria as the illegitimate child of Jože Destovnik and Marija Vasle.

[7] The sobriquet Kajuh – associated with the word kanjuh referring to buzzard – comes from the oeconym of his grandfather's birthplace in Skorno near Šmartno ob Paki.

He was released in May and he hid in the Savinja Valley before escaping to Ljubljana in September, where he joined the clandestine Security Intelligence Service [sl] (VOS) of the League of Communists of Slovenia.

Although the details of their meetings remain unknown, the young poet apparently left a huge impression on Župančič, who stated his enthusiasm for Kajuh's work.

On 6 January 1944, the division left the region of White Carniola in the Province of Ljubljana where it was stationed in order to reach Lower Styria through the Croatian soil.

They reached their final destination on 6 February of the same year, facing a massive German offensive and a bitterly cold winter.

Both Kajuh as a person and his poetry are considered one of the most important symbols of the Slovene Partisan movement during World War II.

Together with France Balantič, Matej Bor, and Edvard Kocbek, Kajuh is regarded as one of the most important poets of the Second World War in the Slovene lands.

[12] Major research and work on Kajuh's life and legacy has been done by Emil Cesar, Matjaž Kmecl, Mihael Glavan, Miklavž Komelj, Vladimir Vrbič, and others.