{"version":2,"locale":"en","id":"story.rescue-1943","hasFind":true,"slug":"rescue-1943","url":"/en/stories/rescue-1943/","topic":"Bulgaria and the deportations of 1943","title":"Peshev’s letter and the deportations","summary":"A letter, a delegation and church protests helped halt deportation from the old borders. Meanwhile Bulgarian authorities deported Jews from occupied lands, and the Nazis murdered virtually all of them in Treblinka.","cover":{"title":"Peshev’s letter and the deportations","subtitle":"Halted deportations and communities destroyed","hook":"Why were some saved and others not?","summary":"A letter, a delegation and church protests helped halt deportation from the old borders. Meanwhile Bulgarian authorities deported Jews from occupied lands, and the Nazis murdered virtually all of them in Treblinka.","takeaway":"We remember both the people saved and the communities deported. Survival does not erase persecution or responsibility for crimes."},"sortYear":1943,"firstActivity":4,"epoch":{"id":"epoch.xx","styleId":"xx","sortOrder":0,"title":"20th century","dateLabel":"1901–2000","eraShort":"20th century","slug":"xx","fill":"#CFC9C4","ink":"#221616","raised":"#D6D1CD","dark":"#64615F"},"epochId":"epoch.xx","placeShort":"Sofia and Skopje","date":"1943","image":{"alpha":true,"avif":[{"src":"/media/asset-r1943-typewriter-cutout-480.919b11d7.avif","w":480},{"src":"/media/asset-r1943-typewriter-cutout-960.919b11d7.avif","w":960},{"src":"/media/asset-r1943-typewriter-cutout-1600.919b11d7.avif","w":1600}],"dominant":"#6b635c","h":1820,"w":1695,"webp":[{"src":"/media/asset-r1943-typewriter-cutout-960.919b11d7.webp","w":960}],"src":"/media/asset-r1943-typewriter-cutout-960.919b11d7.webp","id":"asset.r1943.typewriter-cutout","alt":"Cut-out detail; background removed. A black Adler typewriter with round keys in a museum display.","objectCaption":"Peshev’s typewriter","caption":"An Adler typewriter labelled in the museum as belonging to Peshev. No evidence establishes that it was used for the letter.","kindLabel":"Photo","kind":"photo","creditLabels":{"title":"Images","source":"Open source","full":"Full attribution"},"fit":"contain","credit":"Biser Todorov · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons","license":"CC BY-SA 4.0","attribution":"Biser Todorov / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0. An Adler typewriter labelled in the museum as belonging to Peshev. No evidence establishes that it was used for the letter. Cut-out detail; background removed. Museum display","attributionParts":[{"text":"Biser Todorov / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0. An Adler typewriter labelled in the museum as belonging to Peshev. No evidence establishes that it was used for the letter. Cut-out detail; background removed. Museum display","lang":"en"}],"sourceUrl":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Typewriter_%22Adler%22.jpg","licenseUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0"},"scenes":[{"id":"rescue-1943.s1-two-fates","number":1,"kind":"narrative","title":"The law takes away rights","body":"In March 1941 Bulgaria joined the Axis, an alliance with Nazi Germany. The Nazis were followers of Hitler, Germany’s dictator. Authorities persecuted people they classified as Jews because of their ancestry.\n\nIn Bulgaria the Law for the Defense of the Nation restricted Jewish people’s rights. Authorities excluded them from public service and limited their access to many professions. This persecution began before plans for their forced removal.","images":[{"alpha":false,"avif":[{"src":"/media/asset-r1943-peshev-393.e47b86c8.avif","w":393}],"dominant":"#747474","h":567,"w":393,"webp":[{"src":"/media/asset-r1943-peshev-393.e47b86c8.webp","w":393}],"src":"/media/asset-r1943-peshev-393.e47b86c8.webp","id":"asset.r1943.peshev","alt":"Black-and-white portrait of a man with short hair and a moustache, wearing a suit and tie.","objectCaption":"Dimitar Peshev in 1937 according to the file description. Archive portrait.","caption":"Dimitar Peshev in 1937 according to the file description. Archive portrait.","kindLabel":"Archive","kind":"archive","visibleKind":"Archive","creditLabels":{"title":"Images","source":"Open source","full":"Full attribution"},"fit":"contain","credit":"Unknown photographer · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons","license":"Public domain","attribution":"Unknown photographer / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain. Credited source: Yad Vashem. Processed image. Archive photograph","attributionParts":[{"text":"Unknown photographer / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain. Credited source: Yad Vashem. Processed image. Archive photograph","lang":"en"}],"sourceUrl":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dimitar_Peshev_2.jpg","licenseUrl":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dimitar_Peshev_2.jpg#Licensing"}],"hotspots":[],"places":[],"map":null,"activity":null,"audio":{"durationSeconds":27.983375,"source":"synthetic_tts","voice":"en_US-ljspeech-high","provider":"Piper","assetId":"audio.en.rescue-1943.rescue-1943.s1-two-fates","duration":28.075,"src":"/audio/en/rescue-1943/s1-two-fates.d879ff70.m4a"},"textRevised":false,"sources":[{"id":"src.r1943.ushmm"},{"id":"src.r1943.ragaru2017"},{"id":"src.r1943.nazi-party"}]},{"id":"rescue-1943.s7-agreement","number":2,"kind":"narrative","title":"An agreement for 20,000 people","body":"Bulgaria administered occupied parts of Greece and Yugoslavia: lands seized during the war. Bulgarian rules excluded local Jews from acquiring Bulgarian citizenship. Citizenship means legal membership of a state.\n\nOn 22 February 1943 Bulgarian official Aleksandar Belev and German representative Theodor Dannecker agreed to deport 20,000 Jews. This meant forcibly removing people. The plan also threatened Jews within the kingdom’s old borders. These enclosed its territory before the occupations.","images":[{"alpha":false,"avif":[{"src":"/media/asset-r1943-deportation-480.4077968c.avif","w":480},{"src":"/media/asset-r1943-deportation-960.4077968c.avif","w":960},{"src":"/media/asset-r1943-deportation-1024.4077968c.avif","w":1024}],"dominant":"#787878","h":640,"w":1024,"webp":[{"src":"/media/asset-r1943-deportation-960.4077968c.webp","w":960}],"src":"/media/asset-r1943-deportation-960.4077968c.webp","id":"asset.r1943.deportation","alt":"Black-and-white photograph: people with luggage beside an open freight wagon; uniformed men stand nearby.","objectCaption":"Deportation of Macedonian Jews, 1943. Archive photograph. This frame’s exact location and day have not been established here.","caption":"Deportation of Macedonian Jews, 1943. Archive photograph. This frame’s exact location and day have not been established here.","kindLabel":"Archive","kind":"archive","visibleKind":"Archive","creditLabels":{"title":"Images","source":"Open source","full":"Full attribution"},"fit":"contain","credit":"Unknown photographer · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons","license":"Public domain","attribution":"Unknown photographer / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain. Credited sources: Republika; Holocaust Fund of the Jews from Macedonia. Processed image. Archive photograph","attributionParts":[{"text":"Unknown photographer / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain. Credited sources: Republika; Holocaust Fund of the Jews from Macedonia. Processed image. Archive photograph","lang":"en"}],"sourceUrl":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bulgaria_deporting_the_Macedonian_Jews.jpg","licenseUrl":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bulgaria_deporting_the_Macedonian_Jews.jpg#Licensing"}],"hotspots":[],"places":[],"map":null,"activity":null,"audio":{"durationSeconds":34.844875,"source":"synthetic_tts","voice":"en_US-ljspeech-high","provider":"Piper","assetId":"audio.en.rescue-1943.rescue-1943.s7-agreement","duration":34.944,"src":"/audio/en/rescue-1943/s7-agreement.132a73ec.m4a"},"textRevised":false,"sources":[{"id":"src.r1943.ushmm"},{"id":"src.r1943.ragaru2017"}]},{"id":"rescue-1943.s2-deportation","number":3,"kind":"map","title":"From homes to camps","body":"Deportation means the forced removal of people. In March 1943 Bulgarian police and military units detained Jewish families in the occupied lands.\n\nFrom Thrace they took them through transit camps towards Lom and Vienna. These camps held people before the next forced transfer. In Skopje they confined families in the Monopol tobacco warehouse. Handover to German authorities and transport to Treblinka followed.","images":[{"alpha":false,"avif":[{"src":"/media/asset-r1943-deportation-480.4077968c.avif","w":480},{"src":"/media/asset-r1943-deportation-960.4077968c.avif","w":960},{"src":"/media/asset-r1943-deportation-1024.4077968c.avif","w":1024}],"dominant":"#787878","h":640,"w":1024,"webp":[{"src":"/media/asset-r1943-deportation-960.4077968c.webp","w":960}],"src":"/media/asset-r1943-deportation-960.4077968c.webp","id":"asset.r1943.deportation","alt":"Black-and-white photograph: people with luggage beside an open freight wagon; uniformed men stand nearby.","objectCaption":"Deportation of Macedonian Jews, 1943. Archive photograph. This frame’s exact location and day have not been established here.","caption":"Deportation of Macedonian Jews, 1943. Archive photograph. This frame’s exact location and day have not been established here.","kindLabel":"Archive","kind":"archive","visibleKind":"Archive","creditLabels":{"title":"Images","source":"Open source","full":"Full attribution"},"fit":"contain","credit":"Unknown photographer · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons","license":"Public domain","attribution":"Unknown photographer / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain. Credited sources: Republika; Holocaust Fund of the Jews from Macedonia. Processed image. Archive photograph","attributionParts":[{"text":"Unknown photographer / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain. Credited sources: Republika; Holocaust Fund of the Jews from Macedonia. Processed image. Archive photograph","lang":"en"}],"sourceUrl":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bulgaria_deporting_the_Macedonian_Jews.jpg","licenseUrl":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bulgaria_deporting_the_Macedonian_Jews.jpg#Licensing"}],"hotspots":[],"places":[{"note":"City of the Monopol transit camp. City point, not warehouse coordinates.","precision":"approximate","id":"place.r1943.skopje","name":"Skopje","latitude":41.99611111111111,"longitude":21.431666666666665,"accuracy":"approximate","radiusMeters":5000,"sourceIds":["src.r1943.coords-skopje","src.r1943.ragaru2017"],"guideUrl":null,"slug":"r1943.skopje","url":"/en/map/#r1943.skopje"},{"note":"Site of the Nazi killing centre in occupied Poland; now a memorial.","precision":"approximate","id":"place.r1943.treblinka","name":"Treblinka II","latitude":52.63111111111111,"longitude":22.053055555555556,"accuracy":"approximate","radiusMeters":500,"sourceIds":["src.r1943.coords-treblinka","src.r1943.ragaru2017"],"guideUrl":null,"slug":"r1943.treblinka","url":"/en/map/#r1943.treblinka"}],"map":{"light":{"src":"/assets/maps/story-ff89d11aea737ae3.jpg?v=7dab74fa60","w":2048,"h":6738,"avif":[],"webp":[],"responsive":[]},"dark":{"src":"/assets/maps/story-ff89d11aea737ae3-dark.jpg?v=07c3022d82","w":2048,"h":6738,"avif":[],"webp":[],"responsive":[]},"places":[{"note":"City of the Monopol transit camp. City point, not warehouse coordinates.","precision":"approximate","id":"place.r1943.skopje","name":"Skopje","latitude":41.99611111111111,"longitude":21.431666666666665,"accuracy":"approximate","radiusMeters":5000,"sourceIds":["src.r1943.coords-skopje","src.r1943.ragaru2017"],"guideUrl":null,"slug":"r1943.skopje","url":"/en/map/#r1943.skopje","number":1,"x":45.30771,"y":87.83535,"inside":true,"viewX":45.30771,"viewY":240.4283295078125},{"note":"Site of the Nazi killing centre in occupied Poland; now a memorial.","precision":"approximate","id":"place.r1943.treblinka","name":"Treblinka II","latitude":52.63111111111111,"longitude":22.053055555555556,"accuracy":"approximate","radiusMeters":500,"sourceIds":["src.r1943.coords-treblinka","src.r1943.ragaru2017"],"guideUrl":null,"slug":"r1943.treblinka","url":"/en/map/#r1943.treblinka","number":2,"x":54.69229,"y":15.48502,"inside":true,"viewX":54.69229,"viewY":-140.42832950781252}],"extent":[-0.3835416666666669,-3.00726896365826,0.8276736111111114,4.2113198217601795],"orientation":[{"name":"Sofia","kind":"town","x":73.855,"y":83.478,"viewX":73.855,"viewY":217.4909667734375},{"name":"Plovdiv","kind":"town","x":95.352,"y":86.974,"viewX":95.352,"viewY":235.8941292734375},{"name":"Pleven","kind":"town","x":93.259,"y":78.959,"viewX":93.259,"viewY":193.7026683359375},{"name":"Vidin","kind":"town","x":66.999,"y":75.282,"viewX":66.999,"viewY":174.34671052343745},{"name":"Blagoevgrad","kind":"town","x":70.418,"y":87.682,"viewX":70.418,"viewY":239.62108552343753},{"name":"Smolyan","kind":"town","x":94.685,"y":90.413,"viewX":94.685,"viewY":253.9972402109375},{"name":"Pernik","kind":"town","x":69.564,"y":84.055,"viewX":69.564,"viewY":220.5283308359375},{"name":"Pazardzhik","kind":"town","x":89.134,"y":86.619,"viewX":89.134,"viewY":234.0253870859375},{"name":"Vratsa","kind":"town","x":77.344,"y":80.264,"viewX":77.344,"viewY":200.57226989843744},{"name":"Kyustendil","kind":"town","x":64.328,"y":86.054,"viewX":64.328,"viewY":231.05119177343747},{"name":"Montana","kind":"town","x":72.392,"y":78.988,"viewX":72.392,"viewY":193.8553261484375},{"name":"Lovech","kind":"town","x":94.882,"y":80.725,"viewX":94.882,"viewY":202.99900271093745},{"name":"Balkan Mountains","kind":"nature","x":96.178,"y":83.151,"viewX":96.178,"viewY":215.76961833593748},{"name":"Rila","kind":"nature","x":77.3,"y":87.008,"viewX":77.3,"viewY":236.07310739843746},{"name":"Pirin","kind":"nature","x":75.488,"y":89.352,"viewX":75.488,"viewY":248.41206989843755},{"name":"Rhodope Mountains","kind":"nature","x":93.158,"y":90.274,"viewX":93.158,"viewY":253.26553552343748}],"crop":{"sx":1,"sy":0.18996734936182844,"x":0,"y":0.4216181753190858},"credit":{"id":"map-relief"}},"activity":null,"audio":{"durationSeconds":27.251958333333334,"source":"synthetic_tts","voice":"en_US-ljspeech-high","provider":"Piper","assetId":"audio.en.rescue-1943.rescue-1943.s2-deportation","duration":27.349,"src":"/audio/en/rescue-1943/s2-deportation.d3faeccf.m4a"},"textRevised":false,"sources":[{"id":"src.r1943.ushmm"},{"id":"src.r1943.ragaru2017"}]},{"id":"rescue-1943.a1-outcomes","number":4,"kind":"activity","title":"Activity: what deportation means","body":"","images":[],"hotspots":[],"places":[],"map":null,"activity":{"id":"q.r1943.outcomes","kind":"single_choice","prompt":"What does deportation mean in this story?","sourceIds":["src.r1943.ragaru2017"],"items":[{"id":"opt-forced","label":"The forced removal of people."},{"id":"opt-visit","label":"A voluntary visit to another city.","whyWrong":"The people did not choose to travel."},{"id":"opt-citizen","label":"Acquiring citizenship.","whyWrong":"Citizenship means membership of a state, not removal."}],"explanation":"Authorities detained families and removed them against their will. Citizenship is a separate legal status.","correctItemId":"opt-forced","sources":[{"id":"src.r1943.ragaru2017"}]},"audio":{"durationSeconds":2.963875,"source":"synthetic_tts","voice":"en_US-ljspeech-high","provider":"Piper","assetId":"audio.en.rescue-1943.rescue-1943.a1-outcomes","duration":3.072,"src":"/audio/en/rescue-1943/a1-outcomes.264cce92.m4a"},"textRevised":false,"sources":[{"id":"src.r1943.ragaru2017"}]},{"id":"rescue-1943.s3-delegation","number":5,"kind":"narrative","title":"Four people from Kyustendil","body":"In Kyustendil Jewish residents learned about planned roundups and sought help. Four representatives travelled to Sofia. They approached Dimitar Peshev, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly. He helped lead Parliament’s meetings.\n\nPeshev had supported the anti-Jewish law. In March 1943 he opposed deportation. On 9 March he pressed Interior Minister Petar Gabrovski to stop the roundups. After the meetings the minister agreed to suspend them. The people threatened gained time. But not every plan was finally cancelled.","images":[{"alpha":false,"avif":[{"src":"/media/asset-r1943-peshev-393.e47b86c8.avif","w":393}],"dominant":"#747474","h":567,"w":393,"webp":[{"src":"/media/asset-r1943-peshev-393.e47b86c8.webp","w":393}],"src":"/media/asset-r1943-peshev-393.e47b86c8.webp","id":"asset.r1943.peshev","alt":"Black-and-white portrait of a man with short hair and a moustache, wearing a suit and tie.","objectCaption":"Dimitar Peshev in 1937 according to the file description. Archive portrait.","caption":"Dimitar Peshev in 1937 according to the file description. Archive portrait.","kindLabel":"Archive","kind":"archive","visibleKind":"Archive","creditLabels":{"title":"Images","source":"Open source","full":"Full attribution"},"fit":"contain","credit":"Unknown photographer · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons","license":"Public domain","attribution":"Unknown photographer / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain. Credited source: Yad Vashem. Processed image. Archive photograph","attributionParts":[{"text":"Unknown photographer / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain. Credited source: Yad Vashem. Processed image. Archive photograph","lang":"en"}],"sourceUrl":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dimitar_Peshev_2.jpg","licenseUrl":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dimitar_Peshev_2.jpg#Licensing"}],"hotspots":[],"places":[{"note":"The delegation’s home city. The point does not identify a particular meeting.","precision":"approximate","id":"place.r1943.kyustendil","name":"Kyustendil","latitude":42.279668,"longitude":22.687015,"accuracy":"approximate","radiusMeters":2500,"sourceIds":["src.r1943.coords-kyustendil","src.r1943.ragaru2017"],"guideUrl":null,"slug":"r1943.kyustendil","url":"/en/map/#r1943.kyustendil"},{"note":"Sofia was the capital of the Principality of Bulgaria and the objective of the Serbian offensive in November 1885.","precision":"approximate","id":"place.unif.sofia","name":"Sofia","latitude":42.697886,"longitude":23.321726,"accuracy":"approximate","radiusMeters":5000,"sourceIds":["src.unif.coords.sofia","src.r1943.coords-sofia","src.r1943.ragaru2017","src.tar.coord.sofia","src.tar.sofia","src.ata.coord.sofia","src.ata.sendov2013"],"short":"Sofia","guideUrl":null,"slug":"unif.sofia","url":"/en/map/#unif.sofia"}],"map":null,"activity":null,"audio":{"durationSeconds":32.29066666666667,"source":"synthetic_tts","voice":"en_US-ljspeech-high","provider":"Piper","assetId":"audio.en.rescue-1943.rescue-1943.s3-delegation","duration":32.384,"src":"/audio/en/rescue-1943/s3-delegation.97520c0f.m4a"},"textRevised":false,"sources":[{"id":"src.r1943.ragaru2017"},{"id":"src.r1943.silent-heroes"}]},{"id":"rescue-1943.s4-letter","number":6,"kind":"artifact","title":"A date and handwritten names","body":"Look at the date above the handwritten names: 17 March 1943. Peshev prepared a letter to Prime Minister Bogdan Filov opposing deportation. Another 42 MPs who supported the government joined him. MPs are representatives in Parliament.\n\nThe document photograph shows the final page, not the whole letter. It followed the suspension of roundups on 9 March.\n\nPeshev lost his position as Deputy Speaker. His protest did not stop deportation from occupied territories. The letter records opposition, but does not mean everyone threatened was now protected.","images":[{"alpha":false,"avif":[{"src":"/media/asset-r1943-letter-396.54900fd9.avif","w":396}],"dominant":"#f1f1f1","h":742,"w":396,"webp":[{"src":"/media/asset-r1943-letter-396.54900fd9.webp","w":396}],"src":"/media/asset-r1943-letter-396.54900fd9.webp","id":"asset.r1943.letter","alt":"A page with typed text, a date and two columns of handwritten names.","objectCaption":"Peshev letter: final page with the date 17 March 1943 and handwritten names. Archive document, not the whole document.","caption":"Peshev letter: final page with the date 17 March 1943 and handwritten names. Archive document, not the whole document.","kindLabel":"Archive","kind":"archive","visibleKind":"Archive","creditLabels":{"title":"Images","source":"Open source","full":"Full attribution"},"fit":"contain","credit":"Lea Cohen · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons","license":"CC0","attribution":"Lea Cohen / Wikimedia Commons / CC0; source credit: State Archive of the Republic of Bulgaria. Peshev letter: final page with the date 17 March 1943 and handwritten names. Archive document, not the whole document. Processed image.","attributionParts":[{"text":"Lea Cohen / Wikimedia Commons / CC0; source credit: State Archive of the Republic of Bulgaria. Peshev letter: final page with the date 17 March 1943 and handwritten names. Archive document, not the whole document. Processed image.","lang":"en"}],"sourceUrl":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DPeshev_Letter.jpg","licenseUrl":"http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en"},{"alpha":false,"avif":[{"src":"/media/asset-r1943-typewriter-480.cea926c3.avif","w":480},{"src":"/media/asset-r1943-typewriter-960.cea926c3.avif","w":960},{"src":"/media/asset-r1943-typewriter-1600.cea926c3.avif","w":1600}],"dominant":"#8b8781","h":2400,"w":1800,"webp":[{"src":"/media/asset-r1943-typewriter-960.cea926c3.webp","w":960}],"src":"/media/asset-r1943-typewriter-960.cea926c3.webp","id":"asset.r1943.typewriter","alt":"A black Adler typewriter with round keys in a museum display.","objectCaption":"Peshev’s typewriter","caption":"An Adler typewriter labelled in the museum as belonging to Peshev. No evidence establishes that it was used for the letter.","kindLabel":"Photo","kind":"photo","creditLabels":{"title":"Images","source":"Open source","full":"Full attribution"},"fit":"contain","credit":"Biser Todorov · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons","license":"CC BY-SA 4.0","attribution":"Biser Todorov / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0. An Adler typewriter labelled in the museum as belonging to Peshev. No evidence establishes that it was used for the letter. Processed image. Museum display","attributionParts":[{"text":"Biser Todorov / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0. An Adler typewriter labelled in the museum as belonging to Peshev. No evidence establishes that it was used for the letter. Processed image. Museum display","lang":"en"}],"sourceUrl":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Typewriter_%22Adler%22.jpg","licenseUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0"},{"alpha":false,"avif":[{"src":"/media/asset-r1943-order-480.6a140946.avif","w":480},{"src":"/media/asset-r1943-order-960.6a140946.avif","w":960},{"src":"/media/asset-r1943-order-1600.6a140946.avif","w":1600}],"dominant":"#8b7e69","h":2400,"w":1800,"webp":[{"src":"/media/asset-r1943-order-960.6a140946.webp","w":960}],"src":"/media/asset-r1943-order-960.6a140946.webp","id":"asset.r1943.order","alt":"A star-shaped award hanging from a pale ribbon with coloured edges in a museum display.","objectCaption":"An order is a state award. Order of Stara Planina awarded posthumously to Peshev, displayed at the National History Museum. A later award, not a document from 1943.","caption":"An order is a state award. Order of Stara Planina awarded posthumously to Peshev, displayed at the National History Museum. A later award, not a document from 1943.","kindLabel":"Photo","kind":"photo","creditLabels":{"title":"Images","source":"Open source","full":"Full attribution"},"fit":"contain","credit":"Спасимир · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons","license":"CC BY-SA 3.0","attribution":"Спасимир / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0. Order of Stara Planina awarded posthumously to Peshev, displayed at the National History Museum. A later award, not a document from 1943. Processed image. Museum display","attributionParts":[{"text":"Спасимир / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0. Order of Stara Planina awarded posthumously to Peshev, displayed at the National History Museum. A later award, not a document from 1943. Processed image. Museum display","lang":"en"}],"sourceUrl":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NHMB-Order_Stara_planina-Dimitar_Peshev_01.JPG","licenseUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0"}],"hotspots":[{"id":"h.r1943.date","x":0.19,"y":0.326,"title":"The date","body":"The date is 17 March 1943. The letter follows the suspension of roundups on 9 March.","sourceIds":["src.r1943.image-letter","src.r1943.ragaru2017"],"certainty":"source_reported"},{"id":"h.r1943.signatures","x":0.25,"y":0.59,"title":"The names","body":"These are names of MPs who supported the letter. The photograph alone does not establish who wrote each line.","sourceIds":["src.r1943.image-letter","src.r1943.poppetrov2020"],"certainty":"source_reported"},{"id":"h.r1943.archive","x":0.81,"y":0.045,"title":"The archive stamp","body":"The upper right corner has an archive stamp. It is not a deportation order or proof of royal approval.","sourceIds":["src.r1943.image-letter"],"certainty":"source_reported"}],"places":[],"map":null,"activity":null,"audio":{"durationSeconds":34.56625,"source":"synthetic_tts","voice":"en_US-ljspeech-high","provider":"Piper","assetId":"audio.en.rescue-1943.rescue-1943.s4-letter","duration":34.688,"src":"/audio/en/rescue-1943/s4-letter.2db2aaef.m4a"},"textRevised":false,"sources":[{"id":"src.r1943.ragaru2017"},{"id":"src.r1943.image-letter"},{"id":"src.r1943.image-typewriter"},{"id":"src.r1943.image-order"},{"id":"src.r1943.poppetrov2020"}]},{"id":"rescue-1943.a2-timeline","number":7,"kind":"activity","title":"Activity: put events in order","body":"","images":[],"hotspots":[],"places":[],"map":null,"activity":{"id":"q.r1943.timeline","kind":"sequence","prompt":"Place the earliest event first.","sourceIds":["src.r1943.ragaru2017"],"items":[{"id":"ev-axis","label":"Alliance with the Axis"},{"id":"ev-agreement","label":"Deportation agreement"},{"id":"ev-halt","label":"Peshev presses the minister"},{"id":"ev-letter","label":"Peshev’s letter"}],"explanation":"The alliance came first in 1941. In 1943 the February agreement preceded the intervention on 9 March and the letter on 17 March.","correctOrderIds":["ev-axis","ev-agreement","ev-halt","ev-letter"],"sources":[{"id":"src.r1943.ragaru2017"}]},"audio":{"durationSeconds":2.882625,"source":"synthetic_tts","voice":"en_US-ljspeech-high","provider":"Piper","assetId":"audio.en.rescue-1943.rescue-1943.a2-timeline","duration":2.987,"src":"/audio/en/rescue-1943/a2-timeline.4acb85ac.m4a"},"textRevised":false,"sources":[{"id":"src.r1943.ragaru2017"}]},{"id":"rescue-1943.s5-church","number":8,"kind":"narrative","title":"A telegram and an open door","body":"Jewish representatives also sought support from church leaders. Sofia Metropolitan Stefan appealed to Tsar Boris III. A metropolitan leads Orthodox churches in a region. Stefan offered to have churches and monasteries shelter the persecuted.\n\nIn Plovdiv Metropolitan Kiril sent a telegram to the king and approached local police. A telegram was a short message transmitted quickly over a distance. When the Plovdiv deportation order was cancelled, Kiril told those detained in the school.","images":[{"alpha":false,"avif":[{"src":"/media/asset-r1943-kiril-grave-480.385c1850.avif","w":480},{"src":"/media/asset-r1943-kiril-grave-960.385c1850.avif","w":960},{"src":"/media/asset-r1943-kiril-grave-1067.385c1850.avif","w":1067}],"dominant":"#7f8082","h":1600,"w":1067,"webp":[{"src":"/media/asset-r1943-kiril-grave-960.385c1850.webp","w":960}],"src":"/media/asset-r1943-kiril-grave-960.385c1850.webp","id":"asset.r1943.kiril-grave","alt":"A pale stone slab with a cross, the name Kiril and the dates 1901–1971.","objectCaption":"Kiril’s gravestone at Bachkovo Monastery. Modern photograph.","caption":"Kiril’s gravestone at Bachkovo Monastery. Modern photograph.","kindLabel":"Photo","kind":"photo","creditLabels":{"title":"Images","source":"Open source","full":"Full attribution"},"fit":"cover","credit":"Kritzolina · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons","license":"CC BY-SA 4.0","attribution":"Kritzolina / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0. Kiril’s gravestone at Bachkovo Monastery. Modern photograph. Processed image. Site today","attributionParts":[{"text":"Kritzolina / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0. Kiril’s gravestone at Bachkovo Monastery. Modern photograph. Processed image. Site today","lang":"en"}],"sourceUrl":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Gravestone_of_Patriarch_Kyril_in_Bachkovo_Monastery_01.jpg","licenseUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0"},{"alpha":false,"avif":[{"src":"/media/asset-r1943-plaque-480.b2fed6ec.avif","w":480},{"src":"/media/asset-r1943-plaque-960.b2fed6ec.avif","w":960},{"src":"/media/asset-r1943-plaque-1600.b2fed6ec.avif","w":1600}],"dominant":"#a3a192","h":1200,"w":1600,"webp":[{"src":"/media/asset-r1943-plaque-960.b2fed6ec.webp","w":960}],"src":"/media/asset-r1943-plaque-960.b2fed6ec.webp","id":"asset.r1943.plaque","alt":"A yellowish plaque with Bulgarian lettering and decorative branches, attached to a wall.","objectCaption":"Commemorative plaque at the Plovdiv synagogue for Peshev, Stefan and Kiril. Modern commemoration.","caption":"Commemorative plaque at the Plovdiv synagogue for Peshev, Stefan and Kiril. Modern commemoration.","kindLabel":"Photo","kind":"photo","creditLabels":{"title":"Images","source":"Open source","full":"Full attribution"},"fit":"cover","credit":"יוסי נבו, Yossi Nevo · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons","license":"CC BY-SA 3.0","attribution":"יוסי נבו, Yossi Nevo / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0. Commemorative plaque at the Plovdiv synagogue for Peshev, Stefan and Kiril. Modern commemoration. Processed image. Site today","attributionParts":[{"text":"יוסי נבו, Yossi Nevo / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0. Commemorative plaque at the Plovdiv synagogue for Peshev, Stefan and Kiril. Modern commemoration. Processed image. Site today","lang":"en"}],"sourceUrl":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Synagogue_in_Plovdiv_F.jpg","licenseUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0"}],"hotspots":[],"places":[{"note":"Sofia was the capital of the Principality of Bulgaria and the objective of the Serbian offensive in November 1885.","precision":"approximate","id":"place.unif.sofia","name":"Sofia","latitude":42.697886,"longitude":23.321726,"accuracy":"approximate","radiusMeters":5000,"sourceIds":["src.unif.coords.sofia","src.r1943.coords-sofia","src.r1943.ragaru2017","src.tar.coord.sofia","src.tar.sofia","src.ata.coord.sofia","src.ata.sendov2013"],"short":"Sofia","guideUrl":null,"slug":"unif.sofia","url":"/en/map/#unif.sofia"},{"note":"Unification of the Principality of Bulgaria with Eastern Rumelia was proclaimed in Plovdiv on 6 September 1885.","precision":"approximate","id":"place.unif.plovdiv","name":"Plovdiv","latitude":42.142086,"longitude":24.741454,"accuracy":"approximate","radiusMeters":5000,"sourceIds":["src.unif.coords.plovdiv","src.r1943.coords-plovdiv","src.r1943.ragaru2017","src.r1943.huji-clergy"],"short":"Plovdiv","guideUrl":null,"slug":"unif.plovdiv","url":"/en/map/#unif.plovdiv"}],"map":null,"activity":null,"audio":{"durationSeconds":30.990375,"source":"synthetic_tts","voice":"en_US-ljspeech-high","provider":"Piper","assetId":"audio.en.rescue-1943.rescue-1943.s5-church","duration":31.104,"src":"/audio/en/rescue-1943/s5-church.9cc4393b.m4a"},"textRevised":false,"sources":[{"id":"src.r1943.yv-clergy"},{"id":"src.r1943.huji-clergy"},{"id":"src.r1943.ragaru2017"}]},{"id":"rescue-1943.s6-remember-both","number":9,"kind":"narrative","title":"The monument at Treblinka","body":"Around 48,000 Jews within the old borders were not sent to Nazi camps. But persecution continued. Authorities expelled Jews from Sofia to the provinces. Men were subjected to forced labour.\n\nBulgarian authorities deported over 11,000 Jews from occupied lands. Virtually all were murdered by the Nazis in Treblinka. This was a killing centre in occupied Poland. People were taken there to be murdered.\n\nToday’s monument remembers those killed. We remember them alongside the survivors.","images":[{"alpha":false,"avif":[{"src":"/media/asset-r1943-treblinka-480.e5db6e47.avif","w":480},{"src":"/media/asset-r1943-treblinka-960.e5db6e47.avif","w":960},{"src":"/media/asset-r1943-treblinka-1600.e5db6e47.avif","w":1600}],"dominant":"#889496","h":1068,"w":1600,"webp":[{"src":"/media/asset-r1943-treblinka-960.e5db6e47.webp","w":960}],"src":"/media/asset-r1943-treblinka-960.e5db6e47.webp","id":"asset.r1943.treblinka","alt":"A tall stone monument with a rough surface, surrounded by many smaller stones.","objectCaption":"The memorial at the site of Treblinka II today. A postwar monument, not a surviving camp building.","caption":"The memorial at the site of Treblinka II today. A postwar monument, not a surviving camp building.","kindLabel":"Photo","kind":"photo","creditLabels":{"title":"Images","source":"Open source","full":"Full attribution"},"fit":"cover","credit":"Adrian Grycuk · CC BY-SA 3.0 pl · Wikimedia Commons","license":"CC BY-SA 3.0 pl","attribution":"Photo: Adrian Grycuk; editing: Jacek Halicki / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 PL. Processed image. Site today","attributionParts":[{"text":"Photo: ","lang":"en"},{"text":"Adrian Grycuk; editing: Jacek Halicki / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0 PL. Processed image. 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Stefan intervened in Sofia and offered shelter. Kiril acted in Plovdiv and visited the school.","sources":[{"id":"src.r1943.ragaru2017"},{"id":"src.r1943.huji-clergy"},{"id":"src.r1943.yv-clergy"}],"columns":["Person","Role"]},"audio":{"durationSeconds":3.695291666666667,"source":"synthetic_tts","voice":"en_US-ljspeech-high","provider":"Piper","assetId":"audio.en.rescue-1943.rescue-1943.a3-matching","duration":3.797,"src":"/audio/en/rescue-1943/a3-matching.6f7eb278.m4a"},"textRevised":false,"sources":[{"id":"src.r1943.ragaru2017"},{"id":"src.r1943.huji-clergy"},{"id":"src.r1943.yv-clergy"}]}],"minutes":4,"sources":[{"year":2025,"url":"https://cja.huji.ac.il/browser.php?id=58073&mode=set","institutionOrAuthor":"Liza Schwartz / Center for Jewish Art, Hebrew University of Jerusalem","id":"src.r1943.huji-clergy","authors":["Liza Schwartz / Center for Jewish Art, Hebrew University of Jerusalem"],"title":"Gratitude Plaque to Patriarch Kiril and Exarch Stefan on the Gates of Bachkovo Monastery in Plovdiv, Bulgaria, 2009","container":"The Bezalel Narkiss Index of Jewish Art and Material Culture, object 58073","accessedOn":"2026-11-02","accessed":"2026-11-02","supports":{"en":"Quoted Yad Vashem account of the church leaders; commemorative plaque and coordinates at Bachkovo Monastery."}},{"year":null,"url":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DPeshev_Letter.jpg","institutionOrAuthor":"Lea Cohen","id":"src.r1943.image-letter","authors":["Lea Cohen"],"title":"File:DPeshev Letter.jpg","container":"Wikimedia Commons","accessedOn":"2026-11-02","accessed":"2026-11-02","supports":{"en":"Peshev letter: final page with the date 17 March 1943 and handwritten names. Archive document, not the whole document."},"license":"CC0"},{"year":null,"url":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NHMB-Order_Stara_planina-Dimitar_Peshev_01.JPG","institutionOrAuthor":"Спасимир","id":"src.r1943.image-order","authors":["Спасимир"],"title":"File:NHMB-Order Stara planina-Dimitar Peshev 01.JPG","container":"Wikimedia Commons","accessedOn":"2026-11-02","accessed":"2026-11-02","supports":{"en":"An order is a state award. Order of Stara Planina awarded posthumously to Peshev, displayed at the National History Museum. A later award, not a document from 1943."},"license":"CC BY-SA 3.0"},{"year":null,"url":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Typewriter_%22Adler%22.jpg","institutionOrAuthor":"Biser Todorov","id":"src.r1943.image-typewriter","authors":["Biser Todorov"],"title":"File:Typewriter \"Adler\".jpg","container":"Wikimedia Commons","accessedOn":"2026-11-02","accessed":"2026-11-02","supports":{"en":"An Adler typewriter labelled in the museum as belonging to Peshev. No evidence establishes that it was used for the letter."},"license":"CC BY-SA 4.0"},{"year":null,"url":"https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/the-nazi-party-1","institutionOrAuthor":"United States Holocaust Memorial Museum","id":"src.r1943.nazi-party","authors":["United States Holocaust Memorial Museum"],"title":"The Nazi Party","container":"Holocaust Encyclopedia","accessedOn":"2026-11-02","accessed":"2026-11-02","supports":{"en":"Brief definition of Nazis as Hitler’s followers and of dictatorship in Germany."}},{"year":2020,"url":"https://api.bulgarianhistory.shop/uploads/pdf/1601885839991_otkusdimiturpeshev02.pdf","institutionOrAuthor":"Николай Поппетров","id":"src.r1943.poppetrov2020","authors":["Николай Поппетров"],"title":"Една винаги актуална история. Спомените на Димитър Пешев и тяхното значение (Вместо предговор)","container":"Димитър Пешев, Спомени. София: БИ 93. ISBN 978-619-7496-66-6","pages":"15","accessedOn":"2026-11-02","accessed":"2026-11-02","supports":{"en":"Another 42 MPs besides Peshev supported the letter of 17 March 1943."},"isPdf":true,"fieldLanguages":{"title":"bg","container":"bg"}},{"year":2017,"url":"https://www.sciencespo.fr/mass-violence-war-massacre-resistance/en/document/contrasting-destinies-plight-bulgarian-jews-and-jews-bulgarian-occupied-greek-and-yugoslav-.html","institutionOrAuthor":"Nadège Ragaru","id":"src.r1943.ragaru2017","authors":["Nadège Ragaru"],"title":"Contrasting Destinies: The Plight of Bulgarian Jews and the Jews in Bulgarian-occupied Greek and Yugoslav Territories during World War Two","container":"Mass Violence & Résistance / Sciences Po","accessedOn":"2026-11-02","accessed":"2026-11-02","supports":{"en":"Bulgarian administration and citizenship; agreement; routes and statistical discrepancies; Jewish community action, delegation and MPs; differing rescue interpretations."}},{"year":null,"url":"https://www.gedenkstaette-stille-helden.de/en/silent-heroes/biographies/biographie/detail-419","institutionOrAuthor":"Silent Heroes Memorial Center / German Resistance Memorial Center Foundation","id":"src.r1943.silent-heroes","authors":["Silent Heroes Memorial Center / German Resistance Memorial Center Foundation"],"title":"Dimitar Peshev","container":"Silent Heroes: Biographies","accessedOn":"2026-11-02","accessed":"2026-11-02","supports":{"en":"Peshev supported anti-Jewish legislation, later protested deportation and lost his post."}},{"year":null,"url":"https://muzeumtreblinka.eu/upamietnienie/","institutionOrAuthor":"Muzeum Treblinka","id":"src.r1943.treblinka-museum","authors":["Muzeum Treblinka"],"title":"Upamiętnienie","accessedOn":"2026-11-02","accessed":"2026-11-02","supports":{"en":"The memorial is postwar commemoration, not a preserved camp."},"container":""},{"year":null,"url":"https://encyclopedia.ushmm.org/content/en/article/bulgaria","institutionOrAuthor":"United States Holocaust Memorial Museum","id":"src.r1943.ushmm","authors":["United States Holocaust Memorial Museum"],"title":"Bulgaria","container":"Holocaust Encyclopedia","accessedOn":"2026-11-02","accessed":"2026-11-02","supports":{"en":"Alliance with Germany; persecution; deportations from occupied territories; protests and survival within the old borders."}},{"year":2001,"url":"https://www.yadvashem.org/press-release/29-november-2001-10-23.html","institutionOrAuthor":"Yad Vashem","id":"src.r1943.yv-clergy","authors":["Yad Vashem"],"title":"Two Bulgarian Clergymen Named as Righteous Among the Nations for Saving Jews during the Holocaust","accessedOn":"2026-11-02","accessed":"2026-11-02","supports":{"en":"Actions of Stefan and Kiril; read through the quotation in a university catalogue, not directly."},"container":""},{"year":2024,"url":"https://wwv.yadvashem.org/yv/pdf-drupal/bulgaria.pdf","institutionOrAuthor":"Yad Vashem","id":"src.r1943.yv-list","authors":["Yad Vashem"],"title":"Righteous Among the Nations: Bulgaria","accessedOn":"2026-11-02","accessed":"2026-11-02","supports":{"en":"Recognition of Peshev in 1973 and Stefan and Kiril in 2001; names of the four delegates in the list."},"isPdf":true,"container":""}],"credits":[{"id":"asset.r1943.typewriter-cutout","src":"/media/asset-r1943-typewriter-cutout-960.919b11d7.webp","alt":"Cut-out detail; background removed. A black Adler typewriter with round keys in a museum display.","w":1695,"h":1820,"caption":"An Adler typewriter labelled in the museum as belonging to Peshev. No evidence establishes that it was used for the letter.","kindLabel":"Photo","credit":"Biser Todorov · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons","license":"CC BY-SA 4.0","attribution":"Biser Todorov / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0. An Adler typewriter labelled in the museum as belonging to Peshev. No evidence establishes that it was used for the letter. Cut-out detail; background removed. Museum display","attributionParts":[{"text":"Biser Todorov / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0. An Adler typewriter labelled in the museum as belonging to Peshev. No evidence establishes that it was used for the letter. Cut-out detail; background removed. 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Archive photograph","lang":"en"}],"sourceUrl":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dimitar_Peshev_2.jpg","licenseUrl":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Dimitar_Peshev_2.jpg#Licensing","creditLabels":{"title":"Images","source":"Open source","full":"Full attribution"}},{"id":"asset.r1943.deportation","src":"/media/asset-r1943-deportation-960.4077968c.webp","alt":"Black-and-white photograph: people with luggage beside an open freight wagon; uniformed men stand nearby.","w":1024,"h":640,"caption":"Deportation of Macedonian Jews, 1943. Archive photograph. This frame’s exact location and day have not been established here.","kindLabel":"Archive","visibleKind":"Archive","credit":"Unknown photographer · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons","license":"Public domain","attribution":"Unknown photographer / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain. Credited sources: Republika; Holocaust Fund of the Jews from Macedonia. Processed image. Archive photograph","attributionParts":[{"text":"Unknown photographer / Wikimedia Commons / Public domain. Credited sources: Republika; Holocaust Fund of the Jews from Macedonia. Processed image. Archive photograph","lang":"en"}],"sourceUrl":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bulgaria_deporting_the_Macedonian_Jews.jpg","licenseUrl":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Bulgaria_deporting_the_Macedonian_Jews.jpg#Licensing","creditLabels":{"title":"Images","source":"Open source","full":"Full attribution"}},{"id":"asset.r1943.letter","src":"/media/asset-r1943-letter-396.54900fd9.webp","alt":"A page with typed text, a date and two columns of handwritten names.","w":396,"h":742,"caption":"Peshev letter: final page with the date 17 March 1943 and handwritten names. Archive document, not the whole document.","kindLabel":"Archive","visibleKind":"Archive","credit":"Lea Cohen · CC0 · Wikimedia Commons","license":"CC0","attribution":"Lea Cohen / Wikimedia Commons / CC0; source credit: State Archive of the Republic of Bulgaria. Peshev letter: final page with the date 17 March 1943 and handwritten names. Archive document, not the whole document. Processed image.","attributionParts":[{"text":"Lea Cohen / Wikimedia Commons / CC0; source credit: State Archive of the Republic of Bulgaria. Peshev letter: final page with the date 17 March 1943 and handwritten names. Archive document, not the whole document. Processed image.","lang":"en"}],"sourceUrl":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:DPeshev_Letter.jpg","licenseUrl":"http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/deed.en","creditLabels":{"title":"Images","source":"Open source","full":"Full attribution"}},{"id":"asset.r1943.typewriter","src":"/media/asset-r1943-typewriter-960.cea926c3.webp","alt":"A black Adler typewriter with round keys in a museum display.","w":1800,"h":2400,"caption":"An Adler typewriter labelled in the museum as belonging to Peshev. No evidence establishes that it was used for the letter.","kindLabel":"Photo","credit":"Biser Todorov · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Wikimedia Commons","license":"CC BY-SA 4.0","attribution":"Biser Todorov / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0. An Adler typewriter labelled in the museum as belonging to Peshev. No evidence establishes that it was used for the letter. Processed image. Museum display","attributionParts":[{"text":"Biser Todorov / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 4.0. An Adler typewriter labelled in the museum as belonging to Peshev. No evidence establishes that it was used for the letter. Processed image. Museum display","lang":"en"}],"sourceUrl":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Typewriter_%22Adler%22.jpg","licenseUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0","creditLabels":{"title":"Images","source":"Open source","full":"Full attribution"}},{"id":"asset.r1943.order","src":"/media/asset-r1943-order-960.6a140946.webp","alt":"A star-shaped award hanging from a pale ribbon with coloured edges in a museum display.","w":1800,"h":2400,"caption":"An order is a state award. Order of Stara Planina awarded posthumously to Peshev, displayed at the National History Museum. A later award, not a document from 1943.","kindLabel":"Photo","credit":"Спасимир · CC BY-SA 3.0 · Wikimedia Commons","license":"CC BY-SA 3.0","attribution":"Спасимир / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0. Order of Stara Planina awarded posthumously to Peshev, displayed at the National History Museum. A later award, not a document from 1943. Processed image. Museum display","attributionParts":[{"text":"Спасимир / Wikimedia Commons / CC BY-SA 3.0. Order of Stara Planina awarded posthumously to Peshev, displayed at the National History Museum. A later award, not a document from 1943. Processed image. Museum display","lang":"en"}],"sourceUrl":"https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:NHMB-Order_Stara_planina-Dimitar_Peshev_01.JPG","licenseUrl":"https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0","creditLabels":{"title":"Images","source":"Open source","full":"Full attribution"}},{"id":"asset.r1943.kiril-grave","src":"/media/asset-r1943-kiril-grave-960.385c1850.webp","alt":"A pale stone slab with a cross, the name Kiril and the dates 1901–1971.","w":1067,"h":1600,"caption":"Kiril’s gravestone at Bachkovo Monastery. 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