During World War 2, across Europe, partisans used underground radio against the Nazis.

Ljubljana, Slovenia, was occupied and encircled by barbed wire. Subversive broadcasters set up Radio Kričač in a different basement every night, trying to stay one step ahead of the fascists. Broadcasts opened with the urgency of a ticking clock.

In 1945, Slovene partisans threw out the fascist occupiers, without the military assistance of the allies. Seven decades later, the spirit of that resistance is being celebrated.

Aljaž Pengov Bitenc is descended from Slovenian partisans and radio folk. He writes blog, a newspaper column and runs Radio Kaos. East Van Calling talked to Aljaž about Radio Kričač in his small studios, overlooking the old city of Ljubljana.

With one eye on the board to monitor the station’s afternoon broadcasts, he explained how those WW2 anti-fascist transmissions worked.

The irregular transmissions had moral boosting messages, reports of partisan actions and readings form Slovene authors and poets.

Eventually, Kričač went radio silent. The fascists could never find the transmitter. Instead, they confiscated all the radio receivers of Ljubljana. But now it's back. Radioheads in the Slovenian capital are broadcasting on 88.8 FM, and on the web at http://radiokricac.si until May 9. Smrt fašizmu, svoboda narodu!

Produced by Lisa HaleThanks to Radio Slovenia for the reenacted Radio Kričač jingle "Bandiera Rossa" by PankrtiRecorded in Ljubljana in 2013 for the CBC Ideas program "End of the Dial" by G.Mullins, L.Hale & Y.Gall