Słoweńcy w Karyntii: wybrane zagadnienia
Slovaks in Carinthia: selected issues

Summary/Abstract: This article is an attempt to identify and examine factors that, according to the author, had a fundamental influence on the contemporary situation of the Slovenian minority in Carinthia. These include, among others, territorial disputes with Carinthia, the geopolitical situation of Austria after World War II, and the bilateral relations with Slovenia. Particular emphasis has been placed on the last of these factors. Bilateral relations have a huge impact on ethnic policies of individual countries. They are one of the external factors that shape the situation of national minorities. This article is an attempt to analyze the importance of good neighborly relations for ethnic relations in Austria. The basic research question is the issue of whether such relationships can be classified as primary causal factors. The article is also an attempt to verify the argument that the geography and history of the state are the main factors that determine its policies. The analysis concerns mainly Carinthia – one of nine Austrian federal states, which directly borders with Slovenia (next to Styria). This is the territory in which the Slovene minority remains the most active. Not without significance is the number of minorities and the fact that Carinthia is regarded as a traditional area of habitation.

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