Kärntner Heimatdienst

The Carinthian Homeland Service ( KHD) is a statutory " Carinthian patriotic citizens' initiative ", which is bound to no party. With the naming of the reference should the K.H.D. are shown. KHD is true since the founding in 1957 as a German national organization. He was instrumental in the founding of the controversial Ulrich Mountain Community in 1958. KHD has 20,000 members currently claims to be.

History

Foundation in 1957

In 1957, the Carinthian Homeland Service was refounded. In the inaugural Walter Lakomy was elected chairman. In letters to well-known Carinthian personalities was noted that the new association will similarly represent the time of his Carinthian Homeland Service on a broad basis, the interests of the Carinthian home.

" The Carinthian Homeland Service ... is politically independent and non-profit ... The purpose of the Carinthian service is to strengthen the love and loyalty to the homeland and fatherland Carinthia Austria ... "

Decades served the Carinthian Homeland Service as an umbrella organization hometown faithful bodies. Controversial is the role of the Carinthian Carinthian village sign service in dispute, on the peak in 1972 in the so-called " place-name storm" bilingual place-name signs were destroyed. Repeated suggestions that the Carinthian Homeland Service was the organizer of the place-name storm that previously could not be proved.

Since the seventies, the KHD took no more effort to win associations or other legal entities as members. The formation of loose and flexible purpose alliances to tackle larger tasks proved to be more effective than a close association to an umbrella organization.

Thus, the KHD concentrated in the following years to the advertising of individual members and supporters that he his newspapers " Carinthian " (addressed edition in early 2009: 35,000 ) and the mid-nineties additionally created newspaper " KHD -Intern " (circulation: was 10,000 ) Making a success.

In this way, over time some 20,000 members and supporters could eventually be won. Including some thousand from the other provinces, especially as successively extended to the whole of Austria issues since about 1990 KHD task pane.

Carinthian consensus group

Nevertheless, the Carinthian border agricultural labor also scored after 1990, the main tasks of the KHD, but in addition to criticism of statements Slovenian club officials, particularly in the areas of minority schools, official language or language of the Church, the commitment to peaceful coexistence, an increasing importance has been given. Despite initially missing the majority of Slovenes associations KHD AGM undertook on April 20, 1991 a further advance and decided - with the votes of the delegates of the Carinthian Resistance Fighters' League - " a 10 -point program unanimously " whose Section 10, the title " The way to peaceful coexistence: KHD for dialogue with the Slovenes " led.

Only in 1997, gave the two Slovenians bandages on their opposition to a dialogue with the KHD up and said their participation in a now of Governor Christof Zernatto initiated "round table" to. Under the chairmanship of the Governor for the first time were representatives of Carinthian Slovenes associations with representatives of associations and other well-known personalities of Carinthia together to detailed discussions.

The result of these discussions was summarized in a " Declaration of Principles ". Eight years later, there was a breakthrough: in 2005 a new era of living together was a compromise in the place-name signs between the Carinthian Homeland Service, the Central Association of Slovene organizations and the Community of Carinthian Slovenes initiated. Although the place-name signs still remains unresolved, the German - Slovenian dialogue group together to try to create a climate of mutual trust. The way to have Josef Feldner (Carinthian Homeland Service ) and Marjan Sturm new thinking ( Central Association of Slovene organizations) in the book Carinthia - described two counterparties in the dialog.

Criticism

The KHD is alleged to have directed their focus in recent decades, mainly due to the dispute over the rights of minorities Carinthian Slovenes. Finally it right- or at least close to accused. This puts, for example, Susanne Falkenberg in her thesis work :: One of the main concerns of the KHD is the struggle against " Slowenisierung " Carinthia and against enshrined in the 1955 State Treaty minority rights. Ironically, sit on the management committee of the KHD " representatives of the three parties represented in Parliament next adult and young Nationalists, besides real ' former ' and disguised neo- right-wing extremists ".

Among the projects of the home service proposals included in 2001 a petition against reparations (see Washington Treaty of 2003 between Austria and the International Commission on Holocaust Era Insurance Claims ). In his newsletter The Carinthian is warned and a " million-strong army of Muslims " among other things the " multicultural mix in Europe".

Awards

The Carinthian consensus group was awarded the 2009 first ever European Citizens price for their activities and actions to promote a better mutual understanding. The award was presented on 2 July 2009 in Klosterburg Arnold stone by the Vice - President of the European Parliament, Miguel Ángel Martínez Martínez to the representatives of Carinthia consensus group.