Often expelled people

Gottscheer

Gottscheer pilgrimage at Krastowitz Castle near Klagenfurt.(Bild: Dieter Kulmer Gottscheer Landsmannschaft Klagenfurt)

They live on all continents, but feel a strong bond with each other in their culture and through the history of their ancestors: the Gottscheers. Many of them come to Klagenfurt every year for the Culture Week, which is being organized for the 57th time this year. The Gottscheer Zeitung is already celebrating its first 120 years!

In Klagenfurt, near Krastowitz Castle, the Gottscheers have a home for their protective mantle Madonna. Gottscheer pilgrims from all over the world have been coming here on the first Sunday in August since 1963.

Home - not an easy word for the Gottscheers. The life of the Gottscheers was often, too often, determined by resettlement: 60 kilometers south-east of Ljubljana, the Counts of Ortenburg settled families from Upper Carinthia and East Tyrol from 1330.

However, after the end of the Austro-Hungarian monarchy, there was no longer any protection for the German-speaking minority in the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats and Slovenes. The Gottscheers wanted to become a republic, but there was no help from US President Woodrow Wilson.

In 1919, drastic changes were felt: only Slovenian was permitted as the language of instruction at previously German-speaking schools, 33 German teachers were dismissed and the German kindergartens were closed. High German also disappeared from the language of administration and business.

The protective mantle Madonna, created by Konrad Campidell, in the memorial in Krastowitz.(Bild: Evelyn Hronek)

Many had to leave Gottschee in 1941, and after the end of the war the remaining Gottscheers were expelled. Since then, they have made their homes in America, Australia and all over the world.

They have kept in touch with each other not least through the Gottscheer newspaper: the Gottscheer Bote was founded 120 years ago. Since January 1904, it has regularly reported on the life of the ethnic group, the difficulties and the beautiful experiences. Due to political bans and resettlement, the Bote was unable to appear in 1919 and the early 1940s. The motto has always been "Connected to the homeland by land and sea". The Gottscheer Messenger is sent to Canada, the USA, Australia, Sweden, Switzerland, Hungary, Italy, Croatia, Slovenia and Germany.

57th Gottscheer Culture Week

Due to the construction work on the grounds of Krastowitz Castle, this year's culture week is limited, but still an attraction for Gottscheers from all over the world. On Tuesday and Wednesday, the Gottscheers traveled to Gottschee in present-day Slovenia.

On Friday (7:30 p.m.) Otto Tripp, chairman of the Gottscheer Landsmannschaft in Klagnefurt, and Hermann Petschauer, the director of the cultural week, will open this cultural week. Werner Drobesch will speak about the Gottscheers as reflected in their association newspapers.

On Saturday, August 3, the Gottscheers take part in the traditional costume parade at the Villach church festival.

On Sunday, August 4, the Kolpinfmusik Klagenfurt plays a concert in front of Krastowitz Castle (9 am). The procession then moves to the memorial site on the castle grounds. A wreath is laid for the deceased. After the service, the Gottscheers eat and celebrate. At 2 p.m., the dean of the military ordinariate, Chancellor Harald Tripp, gives a blessing at the memorial site.

"De Khöscht ahoima in Göttscheab - die Kost daheim in Gottschee" is the name of the cookbook, which reveals recipes from the old homeland (to order for 18 euros from the Landsmannschaft at [e-mail] ).

Incidentally, the origin of the term Gottschee is not entirely clear. However, it probably goes back to the Slovenian collective term Kočevje for a collection of huts (Slovenian Koča = hut).