Generational Differences and Political Activism among the German Speakers in Spiš during the Interwar Era
Generational Differences and Political Activism among the German Speakers in Spiš during the Interwar Era

Summary/Abstract: Background: The paper presents the socio-political conditions that characterised the population of Slovakia before and after 1918. The paper hypothesises that the German-speaking youth of Spiš could be compared with the Hungarian minority youth movements of Czechoslovakia, as the causes of the differences and their approach to minority nation-building are similar. Objectives and methods: The paper aims to present and analyse generational differences among German-speaking residents of Spiš during the inter-war era and to explore how these differences influenced their attitudes towards minority nation-building and political activism. The research is conducted by comparing distinct viewpoints according to two press debates taking place at different time periods (1929, 1938). Results: The paper offers an explanation of the historical development of the Spiš region and why, before 1918, the German-speaking elites nurtured emotional ties to the integrity of the Hungarian state, fusing it with the Zipser identity. Before introducing the arguments of the participants of the first debate, the paper provides context on the younger debater. The debate was between a student of literature and his former teacher. While the former criticised the literary works of a well-respected Kežmarok figure, the latter interpreted this as an attack on the Zipser identity. The student compared the two generations, explaining that while the elderly nourished historical, Burgher-like ties, the younger generation wished to rebuild their life in the spirit of national identity. The second debate took place amid a dynamic political atmosphere, following the events of the Anschluss and the local elections held in Czechoslovakia in May and June 1938. One of the participants was an unknown author who wrote for a Hungarian language weekly newspaper printed in Levoča, who promoted the slogans and the political concepts of the United Hungarian Party. His claims that the members of the young generation of German speakers were traitors were challenged by someone who signed himself as An Aging Zipser. He argued that the Zipser identity and the pro-Hungarian attitude should be given new, more realistic content that can adapt to contemporary conditions, become more appealing to young people and compete with national exclusivity and German National Socialist ideology. Conclusion: The operational framework of the Czechoslovak nation-state urged young minority intellectuals to develop a new concept of nationhood that could mobilise as many people as possible for political rallies or declarations on censuses. They often accused the generations of the ‘fathers’ of being ‘delusional’, meaning they prioritised passiveness and failed to acknowledge the ‘realities’ of the nation-state. The historically and socially constructed Zipser category was thus challenged by German and Hungarian nationalism and national exclusivity.

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