Carinthia border region – A brief historical overview
The Austrian state of Carinthia is located in the heart of Europe at the interface of the three great European families, of the Teutons, the Slavs and the Romans. This situation, which is unique in Europe, has also shaped the country in particular. While the Romanesque element has left little traces in Carinthia, did that more than 1000 Years of peaceful coexistence between Germans and Slavs in Carinthia resulted in a close economy- and community. In all the centuries there has been no national conflict.
It was not until the middle of the last century that a burgeoning Slovene nationalism was carried to Carinthia from the territory of today's Republic of Slovenia, without this being able to really gain a foothold here.
With the fall of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy in 1918 tried the newly created state of the Serbs, Croatians and Slovenes, what was to become Yugoslavia, to join large parts of Carinthia to its national territory by force of arms.
But the Carinthians resisted! Against the will of Vienna continued from December 1918 brightly mixed up, Carinthian volunteer associations not adequately armed, Carinthian defender called, military resistance against the regular Yugoslav troops that had invaded Carinthia.
After the initially great successes of the Carinthian defensive fighters reinforced by volunteers from other Austrian federal states, but the tenfold superiority of the southern Slavs could not be withstood in the long run, allowing the establishment of a Yugoslav military- and civil administration in large parts of Carinthia could no longer be prevented.
The Carinthian defensive battle, in the course of this on the Carinthian side 268 Fallen and about 800 Wounded were to be mourned, ended in a military defeat, but made the world aware of little Carinthia.
The major powers of the time ordered the 10. October 1920 call for a referendum in the disputed area, in which, despite Yugoslavian civilians- and military administration and massive pressure on the Austrian-minded population, knapp 60 % voted to remain with Austria! Those were essentially true for Yugoslavia, those already in the Reichsrat elections in 1911 voted for the Slovenian party. The Slovenian minority in Carinthia was granted minority rights by the young Republic of Austria.
1938 the National Socialists came to power in Carinthia too. With the beginning of the state of war between Nazi Germany and Yugoslavia in 1941 the situation of the Slovenian minority in our country worsened. The Slovenian organizations were banned, confiscated their property. The bilingual schools that had existed until then were closed. All in all 272 Slovenian families attacked the courageous protests of numerous Carinthian personalities, Relocated from Carinthia without compensation and without any consideration. Quite a few families, whose members had to do forced labor, were torn apart. Some people died in the camps, some fell as soldiers in the Wehrmacht, to which they were drafted from the camps. A few dozen people were transferred to concentration camps. After the end of the war, these families were able to return to their homeland and were materially compensated by the Austrian state.
The brutal action of the Nazi regime against the Slovenian ethnic group in Carinthia benefited from the summer 1942 the resistance of the partisans, among which, however, there were only a small proportion of Carinthian Slovenes. Even if the military value of the partisan fight against the Nazi regime was rather limited – Even at the height of the fighting, only a few hundred partisans were actively deployed - so this was able to tie down a number of German armed formations and contribute to weakening confidence in victory among the local National Socialists towards the end of the war. The civilian population between the fronts suffered in this struggle. On the one hand, this was the “unbelievable terror” of partisan units (Security Directorate for Carinthia report, 1952) and on the other hand exposed to brutal reprisals by the Nazi judiciary.
The National Socialist rule in Carinthia had lasted seven years. After a day before the 8. May 1945 After the final surrender of the German armed forces in Carinthia, a provisional democratic government was formed, With the simultaneous invasion of the regular titocommunist partisan army and the proclamation of Yugoslav military power, our country threatened to join Yugoslavia and thus the continuation of the dictatorship, namely the communist.
The new democratic Carinthian state government recognized the danger and asked the British military, your 8. to have the army move into Carinthia as quickly as possible, in the hope, so that Carinthia can be preserved undivided under the reborn Austria. Thanks to the already tags on it, am 8. May 1945, Carinthia was occupied by the British, the previously announced annexation of Carinthia by Yugoslavia was prevented. Under pressure from the British occupying forces, the Tito troops had to evacuate southern Carinthia after a 14-day reign of terror.
However: In the few days between 9. and the 20. May 1945 Tito partisans have at least according to official reports 263 Carinthian civilians, none of whom had committed war crimes in Yugoslavia, arrested and deported to Yugoslavia. 91 Displaced persons did not return to Carinthia. They were murdered and buried in mass graves.
If it hadn't been for the British calling on the Yugoslav partisan army, to clear Carinthia – was am 22. May 1945 has happened – The anti-communist crimes against the Carinthian civilian population would probably have continued on an even larger scale. Bris Kidric had it, since May 1945 Chairman of the Slovenian People's Government, required, that “The remnants of Germandom disappear from the northern areas” would have to, what probably also that as “Slovenian Carinthia” would have included claimed southern Carinthia. The fact too, that only in the first two months after the end of the war, according to the Slovenian head of the commission for exhumations, Joze Dezman, at least 100.000 People – Slovenian cathedrals, Croatian Ustashi, Serbian Chetniks, Wehrmacht members, German old Austrians and also simple Slovenian citizens because they were not communists – were murdered and buried in mass graves on the territory of today's Republic of Slovenia, suggests a dramatic expansion of the titocommunist attacks against the Carinthian civilian population as very likely, the British would not have intervened.
According to the latest estimates, the total number of victims is “bloodthirsty communist rulers” (Janez Janša) in Slovenia 300.000. 493 Mass graves were held until the beginning of March 2009 detected. From more 160 you know. (Alfred Elste, “Small newspaper” 7. March 2009). The perpetrators have not yet been held responsible, what after the sensational opening of a mass grave in Lasko, Slovenia in March 2009 Slovenia's Public Prosecutor General Barbara Brezigar also sharply criticized it.
To 1949 Tito-Yugoslavia maintained its territorial claims against Carinthia. The connection took place in many events on Austrian Carinthian soil “Slovenian Carinthia” demanded of Yugoslavia, although the proportion of the Slovene population in the total population of this area was only about 10 percent (throughout Carinthia under 5 percent) had been. The partisans' struggle against National Socialism was therefore not in favor of a free and democratic Austria on Carinthian soil, but for the connection of half of Carinthia to Yugoslavia.
Not until the Paris conference in June 1949 the four great powers have decided against the Yugoslav territorial claims, that the borders of Austria, like them on 1. January 1938 had passed, should be left.
In the State Treaty 1955, who brought freedom and sovereignty to our fatherland, Generous ethnic group rights were enshrined for the Slovenian and Croatian minorities in Austria, which have since been specifically secured with numerous implementation provisions.
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Catalog Kärntner Landesarchiv for the exhibition: "The partisans in Carinthia", Klagenfurt 2003
Josef Rausch, Military historical publication series booklet 39/40 Wien 1979, "The partisan struggle in Carinthia in World War II".
Alfred Elste, Michael Koschat, Paul Strohmaier “victim, Perpetrator, informers”, Hermagoras Publishing House, Klagenfurt 2007.
Carinthian Heimatdienst - From the club's history
Am 24. January 1957 The founding meeting of today's Carinthian Homeland Service took place in Klagenfurt (KHD) instead of. This club name was intended to be a direct reference to the “historical” Carinthian homeland service (K.H.D) getting produced, the - on 10. March 1920 created from the "regional agitation management" as a public corporation - after the defensive battle with many victims, led the intellectual battle for the preservation of the Carinthian regional unit in association with Austria.
With success, because it was only thanks to his propaganda work, supported by thousands of volunteer activists, that the referendum on 10. October 1920 a majority of almost 60% had spoken out in favor of southern Carinthia remaining part of Austria. Former defensive fighters were leaders in the K.H.D. active.
The Carinthian defensive battles were crowned by the referendum. Fritz Schretter, Head of the 1955 founded Carinthian defensive fighter association honors this in 2003 published book "The Slovenes in Carinthia":“The work of the Carinthian Homeland Service was essential for Austria’s victory in the referendum.”The 1957 The newly founded association “Kärntner Heimatdienst” was an umbrella organization with the Carinthian School Association Südmark associations, Kärntner Abwehrkampfbund and Kärntner Landsmannschaft.
In the founding meeting, Dr. Walter Lakomy elected chairman in letters to well-known Carinthian personalities, that the new association “wants to represent the interests of our homeland on a broad basis, similar to the Carinthian Homeland Service at the time.” The Austrian-patriotic objective is also expressed in the statutes of the new umbrella organization:“The purpose of the association is to strengthen those who are loyal to home, especially in the mixed-language area. ”This objective was made more precise by a later amendment to the statutes:“The Carinthian Homeland Service … is non-partisan and non-profit…. The purpose of the Carinthian Homeland Service is to strengthen love and loyalty to the homeland of Carinthia and to the fatherland Austria... For decades, the Carinthian Homeland Service functioned as an "umbrella organization of bodies loyal to the homeland" .
Nevertheless, the KHD could not be classified as a “superstructure” or as the mouthpiece of all forces loyal to their homeland in Carinthia. The member clubs, u.a.: Carinthian defensive fighter association, Carinthian Landsmannschaft, School Association Südmark, Freedom Association of Academics, Turngau Carinthia, Carinthian Youth Association as well as some student organizations and small groups, remained completely independent, As organizations, they were never bound to any decisions made by the KHD leadership- or. Representative bodies bound, and were therefore never subject to any kind of influence from the KHD on their club work. The term “umbrella organization” could therefore – you can see from the statutory rights of the member associations, to send voting delegates to the KHD general meeting – most accurate as a loose one, occasionally formed loyal community of convenience for the implementation of certain Carinthian concerns of common interest.
Since the 1970s, the KHD has made no further effort, To win clubs or other legal persons as members. The formation of loose and flexible alliances of convenience to cope with larger tasks in the common interest had proven to be a more effective form of cooperation than a close union in an umbrella organization. With these aspects in mind, in the following years the KHD concentrated entirely on recruiting individual members and sponsors, which he wrote about his newspaper Der Kärntner (addressed edition beginning 2009: 35.000) and the additional newspaper KHD-Intern, which was created in the mid-1990s (Edition: 10.000) could design successfully. That way, eventually, over time, around 20.000 Members and sponsors are won. Including several thousand from other federal states, especially since about 1990 the KHD's area of responsibility had gradually expanded to include Austrian-wide topics.
Nevertheless, the Carinthian border country work also counted 1990 to the main tasks of the KHD, but at that time in addition to an often violent criticism of radical statements by Slovenian club officials and in addition to the, Opposing views in the minority school sector contrary to Slovenian ideas, in the area of the official language or the church language, the commitment to peaceful coexistence was given ever greater importance. For a long time, however, the associated offer of dialogue remained without a response from the Slovenian associations. Despite this, the KHD annual general meeting took place on 20. April 1991 made another advance and decided - also with the votes of the delegates of the Carinthian Defense Fighters' Association – unanimously a “10-point program”, that in the point 10 under the title “The Path to Peaceful Coexistence: KHD for Dialogue with the Slovenes” could leave no doubt about the honest willingness to talk:
“Different group interests and the resulting clashes of interests must not be an obstacle to discussions with one another. Previous offers of talks from the Carinthian Homeland Service to the Slovenian associations in recent years were rejected by them. The ideological boundaries eliminated after the collapse of communism enable accelerated development towards a united Europe. This requires, especially from neighboring peoples and ethnic groups, to move closer and to look for ways to achieve lasting understanding while strictly respecting the respective cultural characteristics. The goal should be a Europe of diversity while retaining historically grown cultural areas, and not be a multicultural mass of people. On this basis, the KHD repeats its offer to talk to the Slovenes across the borders. There Dialogue, the conversation with each other, is necessarily the first step towards each other. The second step would then be to jointly express willingness, To reduce resentment and mutual distrust. However, this also requires the Slovenians to demonstrate their willingness, To respect the group interests of the German Carinthians. Neither German Carinthians nor Slovenes should seek privileges for themselves or try to expand their own group at the expense of others. Different opinions arising from conflicts of interests should not lead to confrontation, but rather an attempt should be made to clear things up in a joint conversation, In principle, a willingness to compromise must be signaled on both sides. This could be the path to lasting peaceful coexistence in Carinthia.
But then it took until the year 1997, until the two Slovenian associations finally gave up their resistance to a dialogue with the KHD and agreed to take part in a round table initiated by State Governor Christof Zernatto. Under the chairmanship of the provincial governor, representatives of the Carinthian home associations met for the first time with representatives of the Slovenian associations and other well-known personalities from the state of Carinthia for detailed discussions.
The result of these discussions was summarized in a "declaration of principles" with the following content:
“Carinthian personalities with completely different ideological orientations and division of tasks have met over the course of the year 1997 across linguistic and ethnic barriers, without any preconditions to a table about stressful questions of the Carinthian history of 20. Century composed. This is seen as the success of efforts to promote tolerance and mutual respect for the Carinthians in both languages. Encouraged by the first two rounds of discussions, the undersigned see this “round table” as a basis for further discussions and for confidence-building measures. The starting point for this is the joint consideration of the development of the country in 20. Century. She teaches us, that a tolerant approach across generations and political camps serves the goal, to work together for a good future, to their design all, who want to participate, are invited. A concept of home should be developed, of stereotypes eliminated, the community is propagated as a political guideline and creates an image of Carinthia on the basis of the diverse historical development. Bilingualism in parts of Carinthia is seen as given and worthy of funding. Measures for the preservation and development of the Slovene ethnic group are therefore advocated. Of the “Round table” advocates a sustainable reconciliation campaign, in which both ethnic groups acknowledge and regret the injustice inflicted on the other side several times. To do this, it is necessary to come to terms with the wounds of the past honestly. Of the “Round table” therefore aims to establish a research initiative that is as broad-based as possible and involves the relevant institutions and scientists, building on work already done on the history of Carinthia im 20. Century on. Only a tolerance and openness in politics lived by all affected groups, Culture, Society and business can help, “to improve the image of Carinthia externally and the climate internally”.
A statement of historical importance, which justified hope, that it is in 21. Century will be possible, the history of the 20. Century to work together and thus to create a basis for a lasting and equal peaceful coexistence in Carinthia. But it wasn't until eight years later that the decisive breakthrough came:
After decades of confrontation between representative organizations of the German Carinthian and Slovenian Carinthian 2005 with one between the Carinthian homeland service, the Central Association of Slovene Organizations and the Community of Carinthian Slovenes in the run-up to politics reached a compromise on the question of place-name signs ushered in a new era of coexistence. More important than the compromise at the beginning of the year 2009 still unresolved town sign issue, is namely the agreement of the German-Slovenian dialogue group, to work together to create a climate of mutual trust. This is an important step towards lasting peaceful coexistence.
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Josef Feldner, Carinthia border region, Verlag Johannes Heyn, Klagenfurt 1982
Stefan Karner, Andreas Moritsch (editor) Carinthia and the national question, Hermagoras and Heyn publishers both in Klagenfurt 2005, Post band 1, Josef Feldner “Strengthening the strengths loyal to home; The Carinthian Homeland Service after the Second World War ".
Josef Feldner / Marjan Sturm, Rethink Carinthia – Two opponents in dialogue, Verlage Drava und Heyn 2007
