Criticism of the police operation: Peršmanhof defender demands an apology!

Criticism of the police operation: Peršmanhof defender demands an apology!

In the debate about the police operation at Peršmanhof on July 27th, the affected activists and representatives of the Peršmanhof association spoke out. Markus Gönitzer, the association's chairman, sharply criticizes the separation between the anti-fascist camp, the museum and the ethnic group. He describes the decision of the Ministry of the Interior and the Carinthian Governor Peter Kaiser (SPÖ) as inadequate and points out the close connection between the history of the museum and anti-fascist educational work. Small newspaper reports on the disappointment of the Klagenfurt lawyer Rudolf Vouk, who represents the affected activists, at the lack of an apology from Interior Minister Gerhard Karner (ÖVP).

The police operation, which involved around 30 officers, a police helicopter and a dog, was carried out after police alleged that participants in the anti-fascist camp had violated the Nature Conservation Act and camped illegally. The Peršmanhof, which is considered an important memorial for the Slovenian minority and documents the Austrian resistance against National Socialism, was a place where up to 100 participants had gathered at the time of the operation. However, organizers pointed out that the farm's owners had allowed the activists to camp, reports butterfly.

Reactions and demands

While Gönitzer describes the reactions of the FPÖ and the Carinthian ÖVP as attacks on left-wing extremist activists, Andreas Kranebitter, the head of the Austrian Resistance Documentation Archive (DÖW), warned against trivializing anti-fascism. He emphasizes that this movement is non-partisan and should not be portrayed as a violent terrorist group. Vouk described the police allegations as a “construct”. He sees the operation as a deliberate attempt to identify and control the camp participants.

The organizer of the camp, Yara Palmisano, reported experiencing an attack on the Slovenian minority and a retraumatization of those present. Mayor Bernard Sadovnik criticized the police actions as disproportionate and retraumatizing. Vouk also called for the discontinuation of two cases of resistance to state power and the implementation of minority protection, including bilingual jurisdiction and place-name signs.

The Peršmanhof as a memorial site

The Peršmanhof is not only a cultural heritage, but also plays a central role in the memory of the atrocities of National Socialism. On April 25, 1945, there was a massacre there by an SS police regiment in which eleven people, including seven children, were murdered. The place is therefore of great importance for the Slovenian minority and for society as a whole, as it documents the history of resistance and acts as a place of remembrance. Remember.at highlights that memorials such as Peršmanhof are essential for preserving history and remembering the victims.

Representatives of the State of Carinthia, the Ministry of the Interior and the Republics of Austria and Slovenia are invited to the symbolic reopening of the museum in May 2026. However, in this complex issue, the Peršmanhof is currently at the center of controversy and efforts for clarity and apologies from those responsible.