Yugoslav-Austrian relations

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Yugoslav-Austrian relations
Location of Austria and Yugoslavia
AustriaAustria Yugoslavia Socialist Federal RepublicYugoslavia
Austria Yugoslavia

The diplomatic, economic and cultural relations between the Republic of Austria and the Kingdom of Yugoslavia between 1918 and 1938, or between the Republic of Austria and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (from 1992 Federal Republic of Yugoslavia ) between 1945 and 2003 are referred to as Yugoslav-Austrian relations .

history

Relationship began in 1918

Dissolution of Austria-Hungary after the Treaty of Saint-Germain in 1919

The beginning of the Austro-Yugoslav relations can be dated to the year 1918. After the end of the First World War, the Provisional National Assembly of the Republic of German-Austria (from 1919: Republic of Austria ) was proclaimed on November 12, 1918 and the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes (SHS) on December 1, 1918. With it Austria and Yugoslavia officially became neighbors. Before 1918 Croatia and Slovenia had been part of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy , the dissolution of which was one of the core objectives of the Kingdom of Serbia in World War I. The Treaty of Saint-Germain in 1919 regulated the dissolution of the Austrian half of the Danube Monarchy after the First World War and assigned Dalmatia , Carniola , parts of Lower Styria as well as the Carinthian Miessal and Zealand to the new Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. The provisional order after the Paris Peace Accords put a considerable strain on the relations between Austria and Yugoslavia because neither Austria nor important neighboring states (including Yugoslavia) accepted Austria's territorial status. The following years after 1919 in the newly formed Kingdom of Yugoslavia were marked by fear of a possible restoration of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. The political scientists Mira Csarman and Hans-Georg Heinrich write that “protests against real or alleged restoration plans run like a red thread through the Austro-Yugoslav relations of the interwar period”. From a domestic point of view, the old nationality problem of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy was presented in a new form. Since Yugoslavia was just as much a multi-ethnic state as Austria-Hungary was before, attempts were made to find a balance between the nationalities on the one hand, and Serbia tried to play a dominant role within the on the other To develop rich.

The actual demarcation between Austria and Yugoslavia was determined on October 10, 1920 when the referendum in the Austrian state of Carinthia (which was established in the Treaty of Saint-Germain ) was in favor of Austria. The demarcation of the border by Yugoslavia was officially recognized only after Austria was annexed to the German Empire . This recognition therefore concerned the borders with the German Reich and not with Austria as an independent state.

Suspension of relations during World War II (1938–1945)

Since with the "annexation" of Austria to the German Reich in 1938 and the occupation and dissolution of the Kingdom of Yugoslavia by Germany and Italy - the SHS state became several vassal states, including Serbia , the de facto fascist Independent State of Croatia and the Independent State of Montenegro , divided up; Slovenia was divided between Germany, Italy and Hungary - neither Austria nor Yugoslavia existed as independent states, and there were no diplomatic relations during the Second World War . At the same time, the partisan tradition that arose in the resistance against Nazi Germany and anti-fascism, but also anti-communism and German nationalism, which was represented in some political circles after the end of National Socialism, were to shape the Austrian-Yugoslav relations after the war.

Relations between the Second Republic and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia

Tense relationship in the post-war period (1945–1973)

Austrian-Yugoslav border crossing on the Loibl Pass around 1959.

The relationship between the Second Republic and the newly founded Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia was initially charged with tension. In 1947 , forest battles fought between Slovene monarchists loyal to Tito and Yugoslav Red Guards spread to Austrian territory. The territorial claims made by Yugoslavia, concentrated on south-western Styria and a part of Carinthia that reached down to a depth of around forty kilometers, provided further fuel . As reported by Der Spiegel , associations of the Slovenian resistance organization Osvoboldilna Fronta crossed borders in this context . While the Yugoslav demands were still on the agenda at a foreign ministers' conference in London in November in the course of the state treaty negotiations, these were no longer applicable with the break between Belgrade and Moscow in 1948 due to a lack of Soviet support.

The introduction of bilingual place-name signs in Austrian communities with Slovene- or Croatian-speaking parts of the population was a controversial topic in Austrian-Yugoslav relations for a long time.

Austrian-Yugoslav border crossing at the Loibl Pass around 1959. With the restoration of a sovereign Austria within the national borders of 1918 in the Austrian State Treaty of May 15, 1955, essential parameters of bilateral relations with the SFRY were created at the same time. Slovene- and Croatian- speaking minorities now lived on the consolidated national territory, and Austria undertook to guarantee their equal legal status vis-à-vis the majority population in Article 7 of the State Treaty. The obligation to fulfill these and other obligations, v. a. through the introduction of Slovene and Croatian lessons and multilingual place-name signs (see place-name dispute ), became a fundamental determinant of Austrian-Yugoslav relations.

The bilateral contacts between Austria and Yugoslavia were officially described as “continuous improvement” until the beginning of the 1970s, although the problematic mood against the Slovenian ethnic group in Carinthia painted a different picture. The tension between German national forces and the Slovenian minority came into focus through the spread of aggressive propaganda - spread among others by the Carinthian Homeland Service (KHD) . After the Yugoslav press reacted with verbal attacks, an informal meeting between the respective foreign ministers Rudolf Kirchschläger and Mirko Tepavac reassured the situation. With a law in 1972 that provided for bilingual place-name signs in “205 Carinthian localities with at least 20% Slovene-speaking population”, the SPÖ wanted to achieve a further relaxation of the inner-Austrian and thus also the bilateral relations.

In the same year, in the course of the so-called local sign tower, the bilingual local signs were dismantled and the law was not enforced again. In addition, “the illegal border crossings by Ustaša members, the delay in the return of restitution goods, problems with the fulfillment of the archive agreement” can be named as points of contention in diplomatic relations between Austria and Yugoslavia at the beginning of the 1970s, which were caused by two meetings between the Austrian Chancellor Bruno Kreisky and President Josip Broz Tito in 1975.

CSCE Cooperation and Normalization of Bilateral Relations (1973–1991)

The bilateral climate, somewhat poisoned by the tower of town signs, gradually relaxed at the end of the 1970s. A cornerstone for the subsequent normalization of relations was the preparations for the Conference on Security and Cooperation in Europe (CSCE) in 1973, at which Austria and Yugoslavia, due to their similar geopolitical positioning (neither were part of NATO nor of the Warsaw Pact ), the " Group of Neutral and Unaffiliated Participating States of the CSCE ”.

After initial attempts by the Austrian ambassador to the SFRY, Helmut Liedermann , the foreign ministries of the two countries exchanged views in 1978, and in 1979 the Yugoslav minister Vrhovec visited , which was the first contact in the dialogue at foreign ministerial level that had been interrupted since 1972. Further reciprocal visits by political functionaries from both countries followed, as well as a meeting between Chancellor Kreisky and Prime Minister Đjuranović on the occasion of the start of construction work on the Karawanken Tunnel , also in 1979. Kreisky's friendship visit to Yugoslavia in the following year generated a lot of media coverage; Borba , the BdKJ's party newspaper, wrote the following on April 8, 1980:

"[...] In the course of today's Đjuranović - Kreisky dialogue, which was conducted in a warm and open atmosphere and was mainly devoted to discussing bilateral relations, it was noted with satisfaction on both sides that this visit opens up new opportunities for expanding cooperation, which has been accelerating particularly recently.

It was also jointly confirmed today that the geostrategic location of neutral Austria and non-aligned Yugoslavia also indicates that both countries are making joint efforts to give the good neighborhood new forms of quality. "

The image of Austria drawn by the Yugoslav press and perceived in the SFR republics at the beginning of the 1980s was increasingly positive, not least because of the disaster relief provided by Austria after the 1979 earthquake in Montenegro . However, there were still Austrian press voices that were characterized by a conspicuously negative report on Yugoslavia, about the preparations for the Winter Olympics in Sarajevo, for example.

Overall, however, the 1980s represented a time of consolidation of bilateral relations. Kreisky's state visit was followed by his participation and the participation of Federal President Kirchschläger and Foreign Minister Pahr in Tito's funeral on May 8, 1980. In 1984 there were further reciprocal state visits by political officials, for example Federal Chancellor Sinowatz and the Chairman of the Yugoslav State Presidency, Špiljak . Recurring discussion points were the guarantee of minority rights in accordance with Article 7 of the State Treaty, the expansion of economic cooperation, the situation of Yugoslav guest workers in Austria, the common geostrategic interests, environmental protection and the contribution made to improving the economic situation in developing countries .

The fact that the Austro-Yugoslav neighborhood relationship improved in this way can be attributed to a change in the foreign policy course on the Yugoslav side, according to which the protective power mission against the Slavic minorities in Europe was rethought from the prerequisite to the goal of diplomatic practice: not first the full granting of minority rights should enable good neighborly relations, but good relations improve the situation of the minorities. The political scientists Mira Csarmann and Hans-Georg Heinrich attribute this turnaround in neighborhood policy to increased multilateral cooperation with the EC as a result of rapprochement between the EC and the COMECON states, which "[y] Uugoslav goods in the COMECON area [...] the competitive pressure of increased EC exports [let] get in. "

Relations during the breakup of Yugoslavia (1991-2003)

At the end of the 1980s, centrifugal and national-emancipatory tendencies emerged in the Yugoslav republics as a result of the persistently poor economic situation, the political rise of Slobodan Milošević in Serbia and the efforts of the Serb forces to dominate the Yugoslavian forces in the SFRY . Due to the incalculable military implications of a disintegration, in addition to economic interests for Austria, security policy was a priority in diplomatic considerations in the time of the advancing disintegration of Yugoslavia . The transformation of the neighboring state was accompanied by a political change in Austrian foreign policy. Since Alois Mock ( ÖVP ) took over the Foreign Ministry , there has been a change towards a more active foreign policy as opposed to a neutrality policy that found expression under Bruno Kreisky ( SPÖ ). Alois Mock in May 1990 underlined the importance of the continued existence and the unity of the state in Yugoslavia. Alois Mock's argumentation was based on the principle of the right to self-determination, but 16 states, including Austria, applied the first stage of the CSCE human dimension mechanism towards Yugoslavia. Subsequently, efforts were made to increase the independence of Slovenia , as was the case with Croatia , a central goal of the Austrian Foreign Minister's strategy, not least to secure the border with a stable neighboring state. This was expressed when the Slovenian Foreign Minister Rupel organized participation in the 1990 CSCE Foreign Ministers' Meeting . The position of Austria during this phase of the Yugoslavia crisis can also be found in the foreign and European policy report. The interests of Croatia and Slovenia are supported, since "Slovenes and Croats in particular would never assume a position comparable to the Serbs" and "the coexistence of different peoples in one empire only on an equal, democratic, consensual basis and not according to the principle of dominance and Subordination could take place. "

The actual collapse of the SFRY began with the simultaneous declaration of independence of Slovenia and Croatia on June 25, 1991. The Yugoslav government responded on June 27 by sending contingents of troops from the Yugoslav People's Army (JNA) to the separatist republics.

In the 10-day war between Yugoslavia and Slovenia there were fighting in the immediate vicinity of Austrian territory and multiple airspace violations by the Yugoslav Air Force, which is why a contingent of the Austrian Armed Forces was deployed to defend the border. In response to Yugoslav criticism of the troop movements, monitoring of the border security measures was initiated by military attachés accredited in Vienna. The Austrian side tried to avoid getting involved in the conflict. After its settlement on the Slovenian arena, the Yugoslav leadership accused in a demarche of interference and support for separatism.

The Croatian War , which lasted until 1995 , the Bosnian War (1992–1995) and the later Kosovo War ( 1999) strained relations with Yugoslavia due to the influx of refugees (between 1992 and 1995 approx. 85,000 war displaced persons came to Germany) and numerous human rights violations condemned by the Austrian side and Austria, which no longer had a common border. On September 19, 1992 Austria voted in the UN Security Council as part of the resolution 777 against automatic membership of the newly formed Federal Republic of Yugoslavia in the United Nations . The Austrian Foreign Ministry's foreign policy report states:

"In the Austrian declaration of vote it was emphasized that the criteria laid down by the EC on December 16, 1991 should also be applied for a possible recognition of the" Federal Republic of Yugoslavia ", whereby special attention must be paid to the protection of the human rights of ethnic groups."

The most important concern of Austrian foreign policy at the time of the Yugoslav wars was to prevent the violent division of Bosnia-Herzegovina, as it was feared that foreign rule over the primarily Muslim Bosniaks would create similar conditions in the Balkans to the Palestinian question (humanitarian crisis, radical Islamism ).

Relations between Austria and Yugoslavia ended in 2003 and went to the territorially and constitutionally identical new state “Serbia and Montenegro”.

Economic relations with the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia (SFRY)

Trade relations

1950-1955

When Yugoslav relations with the Soviet Union broke up in the wake of the Comintern conflict in 1947/48, the Yugoslav government was forced to look for new trading partners in the West. Since Austria had already been one of Yugoslavia's most important trading partners in the interwar period, a renewed intensification of these economic relations was a logical consequence. From 1950 the volume of trade between Austria and Yugoslavia rose steadily and reached its first peak in 1952. Above all, the increased deliveries of agricultural products to Austria strengthened Yugoslav foreign trade . From 1951 to 1952 there was an increase in exports of Yugoslavia of almost 55%.

(own representation)

In the 1950s, agriculture was the most important economic sector in Yugoslavia and in 1952, for example, accounted for almost 30% of Yugoslavia's gross domestic product. While Yugoslavia mainly exported live animals, fruit and vegetables, meat, tobacco products and sugar to Austria, Austria mainly supplied semi-finished and finished goods as well as machines.

From 1955

With the Austrian State Treaty of 1955, both political and economic relations improved. In 1960 an Austrian consulate was opened in Ljubljana and Foreign Minister Bruno Kreisky visited Belgrade . As part of this diplomatic rapprochement, some treaties were concluded and economic cooperation was expanded. Especially for the Austrian economy, the developments of these years were to be assessed as positive.

The Carinthian town signs dispute from 1972 onwards put a significant damper on this positive development . Austrian exports fell by 14% compared to the previous year. In the following years, however, this decline was compensated for and there were strong growth rates as early as 1974. Unfortunately, this export growth could not be sustained and there was a steady decline in Austrian exports to Yugoslavia until the end of the 1980s. Imports from Yugoslavia only increased slightly in the 1980s.

tourism

Number of Austrian tourists in Yugoslavia 1950–1955 (own illustration)

From the 1950s on, tourism played a central role in the Yugoslav economy. As the most important source of foreign currency , Austrian tourists in particular were welcome guests on the Adriatic coast . Belgrade hoped that the increased volume of tourism would not only bring economic benefits, but also improve the Yugoslav image in Austria.

Tourism developed into a central branch of the economy for both countries. Especially for Yugoslavia, which only played a small international role in the foreign trade of goods, tourism was essential to compensate for the deficits in the trade balance. The income from tourism made it possible for the Balkan country to offer its population a certain standard of living, despite a rather sluggish overall economic development.

Despite its geographical proximity, Yugoslavia only became an important holiday destination for the Austrian population in the 1960s. The rise of Yugoslavia to an important travel destination happened roughly at the same time as the developments in Greece and Spain. Thanks to the expansion of inland transport routes and economic reforms, Yugoslavia was able to increase its share of the world travel market from 1.6% (1960) to 5.2% (1975). This also had an impact on the number of holidaymakers from Austria. In 1985 over a quarter of Austrians chose Yugoslavia as their holiday destination. The popularity as a holiday destination can be explained by various factors:

  • The geographical proximity: The locations of the northern Adriatic can be reached within a few hours.
  • The historical roots: The seaside resort of Opatija was already one of the most popular travel destinations during the monarchy.
  • Low prices: The Yugoslav coast was considered a typical low-cost holiday destination and was particularly popular with Austrians with lower incomes due to the low-cost alternative of camping holidays.

In 1988 there was the highest ever value with over 52 million overnight stays (5.4 million from Austria), before the 10-day war , the Croatian war and the Bosnian war in 1991 led to a complete collapse of tourism in Yugoslavia.

Yugoslav guest workers in Austria

Republics of origin of Yugoslav guest workers in Austria in 1971

Triggered by the strong economic growth of the 1960s, there was a labor shortage in Austria. At the same time, there was a massive surplus of labor in Yugoslavia due to the strong birth cohorts and rationalization in industry. In response, Austria promoted temporary employment of Yugoslav citizens abroad. The aim of the so-called “ guest workers ” was not to settle permanently in the other countries, but to earn enough to support the families they left behind and to be able to build a livelihood after their return. Since there was no improvement in the situation in Yugoslavia in the following years, family members of guest workers also increasingly settled in Austria. As early as the 1960s, guest workers from Yugoslavia made up the largest group of employed foreigners in Austria. At the beginning of the 1970s, the number of Yugoslav guest workers had peaked and numbered almost 200,000.

From 1973 the number of Yugoslavs working in Austria decreased continuously. These employment relationships were of major economic importance for both countries. In the first decades after the Second World War , Austrian industry needed a large number of less qualified workers that could be covered more easily by the guest workers. For the Yugoslav economy, it meant a relaxation of the labor market and an additional source of income for foreign currencies ( shillings ), since most guest workers regularly transferred money to their home country. At the beginning of the 1980s, these transactions accounted for 23 percent of total Yugoslav foreign exchange earnings.

The foreign currency transfers of the guest workers were transferred to special accounts, from which the recipients imports and products, such as B. could buy cars, electrical and household appliances etc. from western states.

The majority of the guest workers employed in Austria came from the republics of Serbia and Bosnia-Herzegovina . Due to the better economic situation, far fewer people came to Austria from the northern regions of Slovenia and Croatia than from the southern regions.

Economic agreement

  • Signing of the first trade and payments agreement. (August 17, 1948)
  • Elaboration of a protocol on the joint use of the water power of the Drava. (March 24, 1951)
  • Agreement between the Republic of Austria and the Federal People's Republic of Yugoslavia on the restoration of certain rights to factory and trade marks. (October 14, 1955)

Cultural relations after 1945

Cultural exchange in the post-war period

When looking at the development of cultural relations between Austria and Yugoslavia , it should be noted that this is by no means a linear development, but rather a development characterized by recurring problems and stagnations . In general, it can be said about the cultural relations between the two neighboring countries Austria and Yugoslavia in the period after 1945 that the interest in dealing with the respective mutual culture initially came almost exclusively from individual institutions , associations and individuals. In this early, but sometimes very lively phase, the cultural exchange went beyond the "traditionally associated with 'culture'" institutions and also sports clubs or, for example, youth organizations were involved in this exchange. In principle, it can be said that Yugoslavia as a state had a greater interest in cultural exchange, while Austria, due to certain social forces, behaved more reserved and reserved. Furthermore, the cultural exchange in certain regions , such as in the Austrian federal states of Carinthia and Styria, as well as in the sub-republics of Slovenia and Croatia, was more diverse and intensive, while other regions were far less affected by this cultural exchange. In summary, it can also be stated that the first 25 years after the end of the Second World War were characterized by the fact that in both countries there was often talk of an improvement in cultural relations with one another, “without, however, reaching a stage called 'good 'The cultural exchange between the two countries between 1945 and 1972 is - despite the following delegations and other state institutions - to be located primarily at the level of organizations, institutions and private individuals. Regional contacts in particular are characteristic of this period. In the immediate post-war period, these cultural contacts were still tentative. “The memories of the tragedies of the preceding years were still too tangible.” In addition, both the political and material foundations for the development of cultural relations had to be re-established. For example, telephone traffic between Austria and Yugoslavia was started in 1946, in 1951 Yugoslavia "officially lifted the state of war with Austria." As early as 1946, the "Austrian - Yugoslav Society" was founded in Vienna, officially known as the "Society for the care of cultural." and economic relations with Yugoslavia ”. As part of this society, which had set itself the goal of “awakening and stimulating interest in the culture, history, languages ​​and economy of Yugoslavia”, both language courses and, for example, sporting competitions were held. In 1948, Yugoslav Society set up a Yugoslav reading room in Vienna. The Comimform conflict in 1948 also left its mark here. In 1948 the board of directors demanded that the company be dissolved, but this was rejected. The Austrian - Yugoslav society is a good example of the fact that there was certainly a cultural exchange between the two countries in the direct post-war period. For example, a cultural festival was organized in Graz with artists from Ljubljana , meetings between Austrian and Yugoslav athletes and mutual concert initiatives were also implemented. The endeavors towards cultural exchange, however, always remained collaborations between individual institutions and organizations.

The 1950s

While the communist neighboring states had been trying to conclude cultural agreements since the 1950s, Austria behaved very cautiously in this regard “so as not to be tied to a specific (ideological) cultural policy.” In the early 1950s However, direct contacts between the two states were established through mutual visits by the foreign ministers . In this phase there was mainly an exchange between Carinthian and Slovenian artists, musicians and writers who organized events in the neighboring country. But the Vienna Burgtheater also made guest appearances in 1952 in Belgrade, Zagreb and Ljubljana. In 1954, for example, an Austrian reading room was founded in Zagreb, which was converted into a cultural institute in 1974. In general, there was an increase in cultural exchange in the 1950s. The Austrian federal states of Carinthia and Styria were particularly involved , as well as the republic of Slovenia and Croatia and the two federal capitals .

The 1960s

After a brief deterioration in political relations - caused by the discussion about the Slovenian minority living in Carinthia - over the years more and more efforts were made to establish cultural contacts. But even in the 1960s, cultural exchange was largely limited to direct contact between cultural institutions and facilities. After a visit by the Yugoslav Foreign Minister Koca Popvic “the wish for further expansion of cultural cooperation was expressed”, an Austrian cultural delegation stayed in Yugoslavia in May 1961 . During this visit, the scholarship system for Yugoslav and Austrian students was aligned. The return visit was made in 1962 by a Yugoslav delegation of education experts in Austria. From the mid-1960s onwards, cultural contacts intensified, which also led to an “ever greater opening of the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia”. “Many cultural events, performances, exhibitions, concerts and readings were the result, both in Austria and Croatia. The carriers of the ever more actively developing cultural exchange were very diverse: individual personalities, cultural institutions, but also cooperation projects based on cooperation agreements between the local authorities themselves. From Graz's point of view, there was a strong political will, especially at the beginning of development in the 1960s, for cultural exchange to intensify with the neighbors in Southeast Europe. "

First state cultural agreement in 1973

Towards the end of the 1960s, Austria's defensive attitude towards concluding agreements with communist countries was weakened. In the following years numerous agreements in the field of technical and scientific , but also cultural cooperation were concluded with communist neighboring states. The state organization of cultural relations began relatively late, more precisely in the 1970s.

Years. In this context, culture was primarily understood as “ high culture ”, the state-organized cultural exchange therefore concentrated mainly on artistic , scientific and educational areas, everyday culture was not of great importance here. The state-organized cultural relations - as well as the entry into force of the first cultural agreement in 1973 - were delayed again and again due to the political relations. In this context, the ever-emerging conflict over the Yugoslav minority groups in Austria and the conflict over the Carinthian place-name signs come to the fore as a political obstacle. In the first half of the 1970s, for example, political relations between Austria and Yugoslavia deteriorated again as a result of the " town sign tower ", which delayed the signing of the already planned cultural agreement between the two countries.

In 1973 the “Agreement between the Republic of Austria and the Socialist Federation of Yugoslavia on cooperation in the fields of culture, science and education”, which was signed by Rudolf Kirchschläger and Jaksa Petric on April 14, 1972 and on August 31, 1973, came into effect published in the Federal Law Gazette of the Republic of Austria. This made Yugoslavia the first neighboring state with a communist form of government to conclude such a bilateral cultural agreement with Austria. In the introduction it can be read that the agreement “is guided by the desire to develop cooperation between the two countries in the fields of culture , science and education and to promote mutual understanding and friendly relations between the Austrian people and the Contributing to the peoples of Yugoslavia ”The first article states that the agreement includes cooperation“ in the fields of science and research, culture and art, radio and television, and adult education , extracurricular youth education and sport ”.

Furthermore, Article 20 of the agreement stipulates that a “mixed commission ” should be set up to facilitate the implementation of this cultural agreement , which has to meet every two years (alternating in one of the two states): “The mixed commission suggests the contracting states Program for the organizational and financial regulation of the implementation of this agreement. ”This first cultural agreement between Austria and Yugoslavia did not initially contain any concrete steps or concrete projects, it was rather a framework program. The points mentioned were, for example, the exchange of scientific staff and representatives of scientific institutions, the execution of teaching assignments for both the language and the literature of the “peoples of the other contracting state” and the mutual exchange of scientific publications .

Also scholarships and the "encouragement to the study of language and literature of the peoples of the other Contracting State", the exchange of teaching materials and curriculum and encouragement for closer cooperation broadcasting have, as well as exhibitions in the other country were as support for cultural exchange in the Agreement cited. In general, the support of the contacts between the cultural institutions of the two countries and the encouragement for exchange was strongly emphasized. However, the need for specific projects to promote cultural exchange was met in 1973. After the previous cultural agreement had expired, further agreements of this kind were concluded between the two neighboring countries in 1977 and 1980.

University exchange

In the context of the cultural exchange between Yugoslavia and Austria, special attention was paid to scientific cooperation. In 1976 the “Agreement between the Republic of Austria and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia on the equivalence of secondary school leaving certificates ”, and in 1980 the “Agreement between the Republic of Austria and the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia on equivalencies in the university sector” was concluded. These follow-up agreements were already in Article 5 of the BGBL. 436/1973. The cultural agreements of the 1970s and 1980s provided for the exchange of university lecturers, guest lectures, support for joint research and the holding of scientific symposia . In 1970, for example, a scientific Austria week was held in Yugoslavia in 1980, and a scientist exchange program was established between the Austrian Academy of Sciences and the Council of the Academies of Sciences and Arts in Skopje . Such events were not uncommon.

Other forms of cultural cooperation

In the following, examples of other forms of cultural cooperation between Yugoslavia and Austria are to be cited in order to give an impression of the diversity of the cultural exchange in terms of both content and organization:

In 1973 and 1984 there were meetings of historians who dealt with the Habsburg Monarchy and the Austro-Yugoslav relations in the interwar period.

In 1975 a Yugoslav Cultural Information Center was opened in Vienna, which initially dealt with the Yugoslav guest workers and their children in Austria, but over the course of time also opened up more and more to the Austrian public.

Along with the cultural agreement, there were also numerous contacts and activities that took place in all artistic areas. In 1975 the exhibition “Aspects of Yugoslav Art” took place in the Künstlerhaus , but apart from that there were also numerous exhibitions from certain Yugoslav regions. Vice versa there were several exhibitions of Austrian artists in Yugoslavia. In these relationships, we can speak of a “leading position” for Slovenia, which maintains particularly intensive cultural contacts with Austria.

There was also a certain amount of collaboration in the film . In the period from 1973 to 1988, 30 Yugoslav films were purchased for screenings in Austria, but only one Austrian for screenings in Yugoslavia during the same period.

School question

Another thematic area, which turns out to be a recurring conflict in this development, is the question of the design of the school system for children of Yugoslav guest workers in Austria - here the question of mother tongue teaching was discussed and negotiated again and again. The question of cultural exchange in schools caused political conflicts, especially with regard to linguistic aspects. Since the first cultural agreement, it has been a particular concern of the Yugoslav side to ensure additional mother tongue lessons for the children of Yugoslav "guest workers" in Austria. In the 1970s, the first courses for Serbo-Croatian, Slovenian (and also Turkish) were established. This was implemented in close cooperation with the "sending states". This development can still be felt in the school system today. In 1992 the school experiment "mother tongue additional lessons" was adopted in the mainstream school system and thus in the curricula of the general compulsory schools, in 2000/01 the curricula for the lower secondary level followed, in 2004/05 for the upper secondary level. According to a survey from the 2009/10 school year, 389 teachers taught 30,732 students in 21 languages. 152 of them teach in Bosnian, Croatian and Serbian.

Difficulties from the 1980s onwards

While the 1973 agreement significantly expanded the cultural exchange between Austria and Yugoslavia, this cultural contact did not always run smoothly. Above all, the political disputes regarding the Yugoslav minorities in Austria (such as the "place-name sign" ) put a strain on the cultural relations between the two countries. In 1984 the third cultural agreement expired, "due to disputes about the designation of Carinthian place names in the Slovene language", efforts to conclude a follow-up agreement failed for a long time. Another point of contention was the fact that foreign cultural institutes were not allowed to offer language courses in Yugoslavia. There was also a problem, especially in the Austrian state of Carinthia, with the paragraphs of the agreements from 1977 and 1980, which deal with teaching in the mother tongue. On November 20, 1987, however, the fourth cultural agreement was finally signed in Graz.

literature

  • Peter Bachmaier, Werner Weilguni: The Austrian-Yugoslav cultural relations 1945–1988. In: Otmar Höll (Hrsg.): Austria - Yugoslavia: Determinants and perspectives of their relations. Braumüller, Vienna 1988.
  • Andrea Brait: Overbuild the great dividing line that leads past our front door. On the mediation function of Austrian foreign cultural policy between East and West. In: Maximilien Graf, Agnes Meisinger (ed.): Austria in the Cold War. New research in an international context. Vienna University Press, Vienna 2016, ISBN 978-3-8471-0589-3 , pp. 259-296.
  • Michael Defranceschi: Austrian Security Policy and the Yugoslavia Crisis 1991: An attempt to criticize national defense and peace movement (s) in solidarity. Dipl.-Arb., Innsbruck 1991.
  • Bernhard Rieder: The Austrian-Yugoslavian relations from 1918-1991 with special consideration of the developments in the former Yugoslavia. Dipl.-Arb., Vienna 1995.
  • Monika Stromberger: Wall or mourning. East-West border markings in the memory discourse using the example of a monument change in Graz and Ljubljana around 1960. In: Gerald Lamprecht, Ursula Mindler, Heidrun Zettelbauer (eds.): Zones of encounter, aspects of cultural and spatial boundaries in modernity. Transcript, Bielefeld 2012, ISBN 978-3-8376-2044-3 .
  • Petra Ziegler: Relations between Austria and Yugoslavia 1970–1991. Dipl.-Arb., Vienna 2002.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Mira Csarmann, Hans-Georg Heinrich: Austria - Yugoslavia conflict and cooperation in bilateral relations . In: Otmar Höll (Ed.): Austria-Yugoslavia: Determinants of a relationship . Braumüller, Vienna 1988, ISBN 3-7003-0765-9 , pp. 40 .
  2. ^ Otmar Höll: Austria-Yugoslavia: Determinants of a relationship . In: Otmar Höll (Ed.): Austria-Yugoslavia: Determinants of a relationship . Braumüller, Vienna 1988, ISBN 3-7003-0765-9 , pp. 38 .
  3. ↑ Mira Csarmann, Hans-Georg Heinrich: Austria - Yugoslavia conflict and cooperation in bilateral relations . In: Otmar Höll (Ed.): Austria-Yugoslavia: Determinants of a relationship . Braumüller, Vienna 1988, ISBN 3-7003-0765-9 , pp. 39 .
  4. ↑ Archive of the Present . No. 3014/1937 .
  5. ↑ Mira Csarmann, Hans-Georg Heinrich: Austria - Yugoslavia conflict and cooperation in bilateral relations . In: Otmar Höll (Ed.): Austria - Yugoslavia: Determinants and perspectives of their relationship (=  research reports / Austrian Institute for International Politics . Volume 10 ). Braumüller, Vienna 1988, ISBN 3-7003-0765-9 , pp. 56 f .
  6. ^ Helmut Liedermann: Austria's Image in Former Yugoslavia . In: Stefan August Lügenau (Ed.): Seen with different eyes. International perceptions of Austria 1955-1990 (=  Austrian national history after 1945 . Band 2 ). Böhlau, Vienna / Cologne / Weimar 2002, ISBN 3-205-99105-2 , p. 550 .
  7. ↑ Big-headed Slovenes. Noise in Austria's secret annexe . In: Der Spiegel . No. 29 , July 19, 1947, p. 11 ( spiegel.de [PDF; accessed June 2, 2017]).
  8. ↑ Isabella Ackerl: History of Austria in data: from 1804 to today (=  Marix knowledge ). 2nd Edition. Marix, Wiesbaden 2013, ISBN 978-3-86539-945-8 .
  9. ^ State treaty on the restoration of an independent and democratic Austria . Federal Law Gazette for the Republic of Austria 1955, Issue 39, No. 152. Vienna, June 30, 1955, p. 727 ( bka.gv.at [PDF; accessed June 2, 2017]).
  10. ^ A b c Petra Ziegler: Relations between Austria and Yugoslavia 1970-1991 . Vienna 2002, p. 88 .
  11. ↑ a b Bernhard Rieder: The Austrian-Yugoslavian relations from 1918–1991 with special consideration of the developments in the former Yugoslavia . Vienna 1995, p. 146 .
  12. ^ Helmut Liedermann : Austria's Image in Former Yugoslavia . In: Stefan August Lügenau (Ed.): Seen with different eyes. International perceptions of Austria 1955–1990 (= Austrian national history after 1945. Volume 2). Böhlau, Vienna / Cologne / Weimar 2002, ISBN 3-205-99105-2 , p. 528.
  13. ^ A b c Helmut Liedermann : Austria's image in the former Yugoslavia . In: Stefan August Lügenau (Ed.): Seen with different eyes. International perceptions of Austria 1955–1990 (= Austrian national history after 1945. Volume 2). Böhlau, Vienna / Cologne / Weimar 2002, ISBN 3-205-99105-2 , p. 536.
  14. ^ Helmut Liedermann : Austria's Image in Former Yugoslavia . In: Stefan August Lügenau (Ed.): Seen with different eyes. International perceptions of Austria 1955–1990 (= Austrian national history after 1945. Volume 2). Böhlau, Vienna / Cologne / Weimar 2002, ISBN 3-205-99105-2 , p. 547 f.
  15. ^ Helmut Liedermann : Austria's Image in Former Yugoslavia . In: Stefan August Lügenau (Ed.): Seen with different eyes. International perceptions of Austria 1955–1990 (= Austrian national history after 1945. Volume 2). Böhlau, Vienna / Cologne / Weimar 2002, ISBN 3-205-99105-2 , pp. 527-559.
  16. ^ Helmut Liedermann : Austria's Image in Former Yugoslavia . In: Stefan August Lügenau (Ed.): Seen with different eyes. International perceptions of Austria 1955–1990 (= Austrian national history after 1945. Volume 2). Böhlau, Vienna / Cologne / Weimar 2002, ISBN 3-205-99105-2 , p. 537 ff.
  17. ↑ Mira Csarmann, Hans-Georg Heinrich: Austria - Yugoslavia: Conflict and cooperation in bilateral relations . In: Otmar Höll (ed.): Austria - Yugoslavia: Determinants and perspectives of their relationship (= research reports / Austrian Institute for International Politics. Volume 10). Braumüller, Vienna 1988, ISBN 3-7003-0765-9 , p. 44.
  18. ↑ Michael Defranceschi: Austrian Security Policy and the Yugoslav Crisis 1991 . Innsbruck 1991, p. 67 .
  19. ^ Petra Ziegler: Relations between Austria and Yugoslavia 1970-1991 . Vienna 2002, p. 86 .
  20. ^ Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (ed.): Foreign policy report. Yearbook of Austrian Foreign Policy . Manz, Vienna 1990, p. 4 .
  21. ↑ a b Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (ed.): Foreign policy report. Yearbook of Austrian Foreign Policy . Manz, Vienna 1991, p. 126 ( uibk.ac.at [accessed June 2, 2017]).
  22. ^ Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (ed.): Foreign policy report. Yearbook of Austrian Foreign Policy . Manz, Vienna 1995 ( uibk.ac.at [accessed June 2, 2017]).
  23. ^ Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (ed.): Foreign policy report. Yearbook of Austrian Foreign Policy . Manz, Vienna 1992, p. 104 ( uibk.ac.at [accessed June 2, 2017]).
  24. ^ Federal Ministry for European and International Affairs (ed.): Foreign policy report. Yearbook of Austrian Foreign Policy . Manz, Vienna 1993, p. XV ( uibk.ac.at [accessed June 2, 2017]).
  25. ^ Dragišić, Petar: Austrian-Yugoslav relations 1945-1955 . Vienna 2007, p. 193 .
  26. ^ Dragišić, Petar: Austrian-Yugoslav relations 1945-1955 . Vienna 2007, p. 195 .
  27. ^ Dragišić, Petar: Austrian-Yugoslav relations 1945-1955 . Vienna 2007, p. 198 .
  28. ↑ a b Rieder, Bernhard: The Austrian-Yugoslavian relations from 1918–1991 with special consideration of the developments in the former Yugoslavia . Vienna 1995, p. 123 .
  29. ^ Dragišić, Petar: Austrian-Yugoslav relations 1945-1955 . Vienna 2007.
  30. ^ Dragišić, Petar: Austrian-Yugoslav relations 1945-1955 . Vienna 2007, p. 203 .
  31. ^ Rieder, Bernhard: The Austrian-Yugoslav relations from 1918–1991 with special consideration of the developments in the former Yugoslavia . Vienna 1995, p. 127 .
  32. ^ Rieder, Bernhard: The Austrian-Yugoslav relations from 1918–1991 with special consideration of the developments in the former Yugoslavia . Vienna 1995.
  33. ^ Rieder, Bernhard: The Austrian-Yugoslav relations from 1918–1991 with special consideration of the developments in the former Yugoslavia . Vienna 1995, p. 130 .
  34. ↑ a b Rieder, Bernhard: The Austrian-Yugoslavian relations from 1918–1991 with special consideration of the developments in the former Yugoslavia . Vienna 1995, p. 132 .
  35. ^ Fred Singleton, Bernard Carter: The Economy of Yugoslavia . In: Croom Helm series on the contemporary economic history of Europe . The Economy of Yugoslavia. London / Canberra, New York 1982, ISBN 0-312-89834-7 , pp. 146 .
  36. ↑ Werner Markert (Ed.): Eastern Europe Handbook . Yugoslavia. Böhlau-Verlag, Cologne / Graz 1954, p. 345 .
  37. ↑ Werner Markert (Ed.): Eastern Europe Handbook . Yugoslavia. Böhlau-Verlag, Cologne / Graz 1954, p. 347 .
  38. ^ Federal Law Gazette for the Republic of Austria, 1955, Article 199. (PDF) October 14, 1955, accessed on June 4, 2017 .
  39. ^ Weilguni, Werner: Austrian-Yugoslavian cultural relations 1945–1989 . For history a. Politics, Vienna 1990, ISBN 3-486-55711-4 , p. 9 .
  40. ^ A b Peter Bachmaier, Werner Weilguni: The Austrian-Yugoslav cultural relations 1945-1988 . In: Otmar Höll (Hrsg.): Austria - Yugoslavia: Determinants and perspectives of their relations . Braumüller, Vienna 1988, ISBN 3-7003-0765-9 , pp. 190-199 .
  41. ^ Weilguni, Werner .: Austrian-Yugoslav cultural relations 1945-1989 . Verlag für Geschichte und Politik, Vienna 1990, ISBN 3-486-55711-4 , p. 25 .
  42. ↑ a b c Aufischer, Max: Year of Culture Austria-Croatia. (PDF) 2017, accessed on May 29, 2017 .
  43. ↑ a b c d Weilguni, Werner .: Austrian-Yugoslav cultural relations 1945-1989 . Verlag für Geschichte und Politik, Vienna 1990, ISBN 3-486-55711-4 , p. 23-24 .
  44. ↑ a b c Stromberger, Monika: Wall or mourning. East-West border markings in the memory discourse using the example of a monument change game in Graz and Ljubljana around 1960 . In: Gerald Lamprecht, Ursula Mindler, Heidrun Zettelbauer (Eds.): Ones of Encounter, Aspects of Cultural and Spatial Boundaries in Modernity. Transcript Verlag, Bielefeld 2012, p. 146-147 .
  45. ↑ a b c d e f Brait, Andrea: Overbuild the great dividing line that leads past our front door . In: Graf, Maximilien and Meisinger, Agnes (Hrsg.): Austria in the Cold War. New research in an international context. Vienna University Press ,, Vienna, S. 271-273 .
  46. ^ Weilguni, Werner: Austrian-Yugoslavian cultural relations 1945–1989 . For history a. Politics, Vienna, ISBN 3-486-55711-4 , p. 11 .
  47. ↑ a b c Federal Law Gazette of the Republic of Austria 1973, Article 436. (PDF) August 31, 1973, accessed on May 29, 2017 .
  48. ^ State and Federal Law Gazette 1945–2003, Article 479. Retrieved on May 29, 2017 .
  49. ^ State and Federal Law Gazette 1945–2003, Article 428. Accessed on May 29, 2017 .
  50. ^ Weilguni, Werner .: Austrian-Yugoslav cultural relations 1945-1989 . Verlag für Geschichte und Politik, Vienna 1990, ISBN 3-486-55711-4 , p. 88 .
  51. ^ Weilguni, Werner .: Austrian-Yugoslav cultural relations 1945-1989 . Verlag für Geschichte und Politik, Vienna 1990, ISBN 3-486-55711-4 , p. 65 .
  52. ↑ Elfie Fleck: The native language teaching: school law and school organizational framework. (PDF) Retrieved May 29, 2017 .
  53. ↑ Brait, Andrea: Overbuild the great dividing line that leads past our front door . In: Graf, Maximilien and Meisinger, Agnes (Hrsg.): Austria in the Cold War. New research in an international context. Vienna University Press ,, Vienna, S. 272 .
  54. ↑ Brait, Andrea: Overbuild the great dividing line that leads past our front door . In: Graf, Maximilien and Meisinger, Agnes (Hrsg.): Austria in the Cold War. New research in an international context. Vienna University Press ,, Vienna, S. 273 .
  55. ↑ Brait, Andrea: Overbuild the great dividing line that leads past our front door . In: Graf, Maximilien and Meisinger, Agnes (Hrsg.): Austria in the Cold War. New research in an international context. Vienna University Press ,, Vienna, S. 273 .
  56. ^ Weilguni, Werner .: Austrian-Yugoslav cultural relations 1945-1989 . Verlag für Geschichte und Politik, Vienna 1990, ISBN 3-486-55711-4 , p. 65 .
  57. ^ Weilguni, Werner .: Austrian-Yugoslav cultural relations 1945-1989 . Verlag für Geschichte und Politik, Vienna 1990, ISBN 3-486-55711-4 , p. 39, f .