Anna Olip-Jug

„... , hoteli so, da za vedno izginemo iz zgodovine.“
(".… that they wanted to wipe us from history forever.")

Anna Olip returned to her home village of Sele/Zell on 30 August 1945. Her sisters had survived the penitentiary, her mother the relocation camp, and her brothers had managed to survive in the woods. Her father had been murdered by the SS in Stein/Danube. The farm had been devastated and ransacked, and the compensation was by far not enough to rebuild it. Soon after the liberation, former National Socialists again took important positions in the local authorities, and continued their anti-Slovene politics. In 1947, Anna Olip married a Carinthian Slovene. They farmed their land as a secondary occupation. Their seven children grew up speaking Slovenian as their mother tongue. In 1978, she was awarded the "Ehrenzeichen" (decoration) for her contribution to the liberation of Austria. Until today, the safekeeping and passing on of the Slovenian language and culture plays an important role in her life.

"After the war, the English came and asked what exactly had happened and who was to blame that many of us had to leave our homes and some were brought to concentration camps. We should have said the truth, then they would have arrested the guilty ones, but we didn't want that. We all said: What we have been through we don't wish on anyone else."

"We still don't have bilingual kindergartens everywhere. Bilingual town signs also still aren't where they should be. Yes, today they are still against it. At the beginning of the 70ies, there was this town sign trouble, when they took down all bilingual town signs. Nothing happened to those who had done it, although they knew exactly who it was. They were never held to account."

The Carinthian "Abwehrkampf" ("defensive struggle") against democracy and bilingualism

Despite the central role they played in the resistance for the "Staatsvertrag" (international treaty of 1955 that enabled Austria to become independent again), the contribution of the Slovenes to Austrian independence is ignored. Anti-fascist partisans are often portrayed as "enemies of the state" or "bandits" by the Carinthian public, while the German national "Abwehrkämpfer" ("defensive fighters") of 1920 are styled as protectors of the home country. Slovene-speaking Carinthians have to fight for their right to bilingualism even today. In a complete reversal of reality, politicians often depict the Slovene language as a threat. In spite of all this, there are efforts for co-existence in mutual respect and openness.