Carinthia - a special case in the contemporary history of Austria (1918 - 2008)

by Dr. Hellwig Valentin. From the book: "Der Sonderfall. Kärntner Zeitgeschichte 1918-2004/08", 2009, 2nd edition, Klagenfurt/Laibach-Ljubljana/Wien (Hermagoras-Verlag).

Translation by Liz Finney

On reviewing the contemporary history of Carinthia since 1918, one becomes aware of many events which did not feature in other federal states or which happened elsewhere in a less pronounced way. Viewed in this light, comtemporary Carinthian history appears to be a „special case“ in the whole of Austrian contemporary history. Admittedly, a lot of things happened in Carinthia that also took place elsewhere. However, the way in which certain  events were handled in Carinthia (and to some extent still are) sometimes appears „weird“.

A good many things about the history of the state are still unexplained, this history having been in many ways a reflection of twentieth century European history on a regional scale. By the same token, attempts were made in Carinthia for decades to establish a political account from historical events and thereby to influence the tide of events. This applies to the subject of minority ethnic groups in particular, an ever-present theme in contemporary Carinthian history.