Dwindling language: Carinthian Slovenes fight for their identity

The Carinthian Slovenes see a critical point in the preservation of their language and culture. According to Bernard Sadovnik, the mayor of Globasnitz and chairman of the community of the Carinthian Slovenes, more than 70 percent of the children in his community no longer speak Slovenian as colloquial language. This is a direct consequence of the decades of assimilation policy, which has made the speech of language unattractive, as he already noted at a press conference. He emphasizes that if not soon a consistent bilingual educational offer for all ethnic groups in Austria, the Slovenian language could possibly disappear in a few decades, as .

Sadovnik therefore urgently demands changes in education policy and more rights for the Carinthian Slovenes, especially in media funding. He explained that visible multilingualism is of enormous advantage for both culture and tourism. At the same time, he criticized the central role of the ORF audience council, since the ethnic group representatives were ignored during the last order. Also within the framework of the state contract, which set the rights of the Slovenian and Croatian minority 67 years ago, there would be failures in many places, according to Sadovnik, as meinbezirk.at reported.

education and multilingualism as an opportunity

Sadovnik appeals to the fact that the Slovenian language is not only offered in schools in bilingual areas, but also in cities such as Vienna and Graz, where many members of the Slovenian ethnic group are offered in schools. This is not only a concern of the Carinthian Slovenes, but could also be seen as a cultural profit for society as a whole. He also calls for stronger cooperation between the federal, state and communities to facilitate access to the Slovenian language and culture.