Our country (Carinthia)

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Information sign at Klagenfurt Central Station

Our country is an association- supported initiative in the Austrian state of Carinthia , which aims to improve the coexistence of the German and Slovenian-speaking ethnic groups in Carinthia through a large number of projects over a period of eight years (2012–2020) . As a final project in cooperation with the Province of Carinthia, there is the “Carinthia - Koroška Prize” for measures that unite ethnic groups with prize money of 20,200 euros (deadline for submission until the end of April 2020).

Historical background

The Klagenfurt-Wörthersee Chamber Choir (2008)

Baier nobles settled in Slavic Carantania from around the year 1000 . Later German-speaking new settlers came to the parts of the country that were not yet settled by the Slavs, especially in higher elevations and in Upper Carinthia . For eight hundred years the coexistence of (language) cultures was not a problem. The point of reference was the respective rulership and not the nation state . With the rise of nationalism in the 19th century, the idea arose that language and not common living space was the strongest connecting element. When the First World War , largely caused by the Austro-Hungarian Empire , was lost, the Allies reduced Carinthia to its present size. The peace treaty of St. Germain provided for a referendum in southern Carinthia; Without a vote, the Canal Valley Italy and the Mießen Valley , Unterdrauburg and the municipality of Seeland (Kankertal) were added to the SHS Kingdom . SHS troops tried to occupy the Slovenian-speaking southern Carinthia, and there was an armed conflict between associations of the provisional Carinthian provincial government ( Carinthian defensive battle ). In the referendum on October 10, 1920 in the southern "Zone A" (with around 70% Slovene population and occupied by troops from the SHS state), 59% voted to remain with Austria . In the period after that, the defensive struggle was often controversially discussed or exploited by politics. There were simplifications and distortions, which were also promoted by the festive culture that was establishing itself on October 10th. The pressure to assimilate the Slovenian minority increased steadily in the interwar period and in the corporate state and culminated in the planned evacuation of the Carinthian Slovenes by the National Socialists . This political situation, favored by the topographical location in the vicinity of the sparsely populated Karawanken , enabled a military resistance against the 3rd Reich by a partisan army . This escalation of violence has shaped the inhabitants of the mixed-language area for many decades.

The initiative and the association

Gallus Choir (2011)

Against the background of the solution to the question of place-name signs and the increasing loss of importance of national borders due to the EU membership of Austria and Slovenia , the initiative “Our Country” finds that it is time to look back to the future and to the common living space. The starting point was the idea of ​​bringing two choirs, one singing in German and one in Slovenian, together on one stage. “The history and the distance between the ethnic groups have a lasting impact on Carinthia. Our country supports their continuous rapprochement until they grow together by organizing, documenting and communicating activities. And that cross-divisionally, especially in society, culture, education, sport, business, art, social affairs. ”The full name of the association is“ Our country grow together. At - rastimoskupaj.at - Our country ”. It is based in 9020 Klagenfurt / Celovec and extends its activities in particular to Carinthia, Styria, Burgenland, Slovenia, Croatia and Italy. The association wants to "interlink" the people in the country to such an extent that the majority and minority will celebrate together at the 100th anniversary of the referendum on October 10, 2020 and dance in the country house courtyard. The aim of the non-partisan initiative is to overcome the rifts that developed in the 20th century between the Carinthian folk cultures wherever possible. The leading initiators are the Klagenfurt-Wörthersee Chamber Choir with its choir director Christian Liebhauser-Karl and the mixed choir Jakob Petelin Gallus (Mešani Pevski Zbor Jakob Petelin Gallus) and its chairman Miha Kampuš. The initiative deliberately chose German as the main language. The website is designed in two languages.

The events started with an organized flash mob on May 2, 2012 at Klagenfurt train station . Over 300 Carinthian singers from the German and Slovenian language cultures gathered and sang together. School choirs from the Völkermarkt grammar school and the Slovenian grammar school Klagenfurt as well as the Carinthian Military Music were there.

The projects and activities of the non-partisan association, which is open to everyone but does not want to provide a stage for officials and organizations, were presented in detail on October 2, 2012. The cultural events will take place on October 3rd in 2013, on October 4th in 2014, and so on, until there will be a joint closing event on October 10th, 2020 at the 100th anniversary of the referendum.

Choir project 2012

The initiators invited composers from both ethnic groups to create works on the subject of "Our Country". “We want a rapprochement on an emotional and interpersonal level. When members of the Chamber Choir and the bilingual Gallus Choir, as well as other Carinthian choirs, sing songs together, it is a living growing together, ”says Christian Liebhauser-Karl. On October 2, 2012, five participating choirs sang 18 world premieres in both national languages ​​in the fully booked Klagenfurt exhibition hall in front of 1,414 guests. Participating choirs were the Chamber Choir Chorus Anónymus, Chamber Choir Klagenfurt-Wörthersee , Mešani pevski zbor Danica, Mešani Pevski Zbor Jakob Petelin Gallus and Schnittpunkt Vokal. The compositions were provided by Günter Antesberger, Hanzi Artč, Erwin Berger, Dieter Fließ, Hellmuth Drewes, Josef Inzko, Walter Kraxner, Markus Krainz, Niko Kupper, Huby Mayer, Thomas Modrej, Veit Obersteiner, Hans Pleschberger, Hedi Preissegger, Gerhard Prinz, Jože Ropitz , Friedrich Schwarz jun. and Bruno Strobl. A potentially new Carinthian homeland song - "Heimat im Süd - Kärnten-Koroška" by Günther Antesberger - was introduced, in which there is no longer any place for a dividing "blood line" between the ethnic groups. In January the CD "Our country sings new songs" was released.

Concert 2012

Economic project 2012

The club president and entrepreneur Miha Kampuš has launched an economic project. The goal is u. a. helping small businesses in Carinthia and Slovenia to overcome language barriers. A specific entrepreneurial service "SLOGO" in cooperation with the Slovenian trade association and the Austrian Chamber of Commerce was started.

Sports project 2013 - "Experience Carinthia"

In June 2013, a sports project was organized in cooperation with the Slovenian Sports Association in the form of a cycling day, in which 10 teams from all Carinthian districts took a rally by bike. The highlight was a joint festival in Villach. From 2013 to 2020 each Carinthian district is to be the destination of this meeting of cyclists.

Documentation 2013 - "Our Country"

The ORF is interested in the project and produced a 45-minute film. This was completed in July 2013. It was broadcast in a shortened version on July 21, 2013 as "Österreich Bild". The ORF team u. a. with Klaus Wachschütz (editor), Heribert Senegacnik (camera) and Josef Nadrag (moderation) created an “unconventional” picture of Austria for the Carinthian regional studio with a very unique visual language. Carinthian choirs alternately sing old and new Carinthian songs (written for the project) in German and Slovenian at different locations in the country. The location of the performance cannot be identified using the usual cliché images, but often only becomes apparent at second glance. The final picture shows all the singers on the southern ridge of the Dobratsch , which is roughly on the old language border.

Youth project 2013

The aim of the project is to motivate young people to actively participate. You can contribute ideas, visions or ready-to-implement projects in a wide variety of areas: history and education, economy and tourism, politics and society, sport and nature, art and culture…. In doing so, they have to address the strengths of Carinthia, which are particularly bilingual and multilingual, the intersection of language cultures, quality of life and both population groups in Carinthia. This gives young people the opportunity to improve the quality of the location and the image of Carinthia, to counteract migration and to get involved in the political process. Last but not least, the project serves to strengthen historical awareness and develop future prospects for our country and the region.

Short-term ideas are implemented immediately, long-term ideas move up to a conception and implementation phase: Mentors and professionals support the participants in developing concrete concepts from their visions and accompany them in the implementation of their ideas. The best concepts and implementation plans are awarded. All ideas should be implemented in concrete projects by 2020.

Music project 2014

Gallus choir and chamber choir as well as the Carinthian military music framed the national celebration for the referendum on October 10th, where the Carinthian song "Amol mit da Sunn übars Land geahn" (music and text by Erwin Berger) was premiered.

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ Our country: Growing together: all projects on stage again please! zusammenwachsen.at, June 28, 2019, accessed on July 9, 2019 .
  2. ↑ Our Country: Vision. zusammenwachsen.at, accessed on July 5, 2019 .
  3. ↑ Our country: statutes. zusammenwachsen.at, July 5, 2019, accessed on July 11, 2020 .
  4. ↑ Elke Fertschey: Large station for "Our Country". Flashmob with harmonious accents for growing together. Kleine Zeitung, May 2, 2012, accessed July 5, 2019 .
  5. ^ NN: Initiative wants to bring ethnic groups together. Kleine Zeitung, May 2, 2012, accessed July 5, 2019 .
  6. ↑ Our country: contact. zusammenwachsen.at, July 5, 2019, accessed on July 5, 2019 .
  7. ↑ Our country: Musical choir project. (No longer available online.) Zusammenwachsen.at, October 2, 2012, formerly in the original ; accessed on February 6, 2016 .  ( Page no longer available , search in web archives )@1@ 2Template: Toter Link / www.z togetherwachsen.at
  8. ^ NN: Initiative wants to bring ethnic groups together. Kleine Zeitung, May 2, 2012, archived from the original on October 6, 2014 .;
  9. ↑ Elisabeth Steiner: Carinthia: Flashmob with a new hymn , in Der Standard of October 1, 2012, p. 8, last accessed on July 8, 2019. Video of the song at the Kleine Zeitung, last accessed on November 4, 2012.
  10. ↑ Our country: News
  11. ↑ ORF: Zeit im Bild, including an interview with Miha Kampuš , video on YouTube accessed on July 23, 2019
  12. ^ WKO : Opening up business in Slovenia in a friendly manner (video), last accessed on July 23, 1919.
  13. ↑ Our country: sport
  14. ↑ Elke Fertschey: The whole country cycled together. Success for the cycling day, for which the "Unser Land" association brought together professionals and hobby athletes. ( Memento from February 24, 2014 in the Internet Archive ) Auf Kleine Zeitung , June 16, 2013
  15. ^ ORF : Carinthia Today, a rally for more tolerance. , Video on YouTube accessed on July 9, 2019
  16. ↑ ORF.at: Film presentation “Unser Land” under: - ( Memento of the original from July 26, 2013 in the Internet Archive ) Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice. , last accessed on July 13, 2013 @1@ 2Template: Webachiv / IABot / kaernten.orf.at
  17. ^ ORF: Carinthia Today, preview of the film. , Video on YouTube accessed on July 9, 2019
  18. ↑ Our country: youth project
  19. ↑ Andrea Bergmann: October 10th brings new visions of home. In: Kleine Zeitung, October 6, 2014 , accessed on November 20, 2014.