FUEN Condemns Police Operation at Peršmanhof/Peršmanova domačija in Carinthia/Koroška

FUEN condemns the police operation that took place on 27 July on the grounds of the Peršmanhof/Peršmanova domačija Museum in the municipality of Bad Eisenkappel/Železna Kapla (Carinthia/Koroška, Austria). The police conducted a multi-hour operation in the vicinity of an anti-fascist youth camp attended by around 60 young adults from Austria, Italy and Slovenia, many of whom belong to national minorities. The operation involved seven police vehicles, more than 30 officers, a helicopter, drones and a K9 unit. Three individuals were temporarily detained, and one person sustained minor injuries.

The camp was organised by the Club of Slovenian Students in Vienna (KSŠŠD) in cooperation with the Peršmanhof/Peršmanova domačija Museum. The aim of the event was to engage with remembrance culture, anti-fascist education and current societal challenges in the context of the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. Among the speakers and participants were descendants of Nazi victims and members of the resistance.

Peršmanhof/Peršmanova domačija is a significant site of remembrance for the Carinthian Slovenes. On 25 April 1945, eleven members of the Sadovnik and Kogoj families were murdered there by units of the 13th SS and Police Regiment. The memorial site is still used today by the Slovenian minority in Austria as a place of remembrance and historical reflection.

All three representative organisations of the Carinthian Slovenes are members of FUEN: the National Council of Carinthian Slovenes, the Community of Carinthian Slovenes, and the Central Association of Slovene Organisations in Carinthia (ZSO). The youth organisations of the Carinthian Slovenes, including the organising KSŠŠD, are members of the Youth of European Nationalities (YEN).

As the voice of the autochthonous national minorities of Europe, FUEN expressly condemns the police action at Peršmanhof/Peršmanova domačija. Such an incident at a central site of remembrance for the Carinthian Slovenes is deeply concerning and raises fundamental questions about how state authorities deal with minorities and their remembrance culture. FUEN expects a comprehensive and transparent investigation of the events and stresses that the affected organisations and representatives of the Slovenian minority must be included in the political clarification process. Police operations at historical remembrance sites of national minorities require particular sensitivity and clear political accountability.

>>> The full FUEN statement on the police operation at Peršmanhof/Peršmanova domačija is available here as a PDF download. <<<

Further statements on the incident, including a comment by Bernard Sadovnik, Mayor of Globasnitz/Globasnica and Chair of the Community of Carinthian Slovenes, can be found on the website of the Peršmanhof/Peršmanova domačija museum (available in Slovene and German): persman.at/presseaussendung-des-drustvo-verein-persman-zum-polizeieinsatz-an-der-gedenkstaette-und-im-museum-persman-27-07-2025/

Bernard Sadovnik also addressed the police operation on his Facebook page (in Slovene and German):
facebook.com/el.globasnitzglobasnica

Dr Valentin Inzko, Chair of the National Council of Carinthian Slovenes, has also commented on the events. He calls for a swift clarification of who ordered the police operation at the Peršmanhof/Peršmanova domačija (available in  Slovene and German):
nsks.at/aktualno_aktuell/detail/de/inzko-zahteva-da-notranji-minister-karner-hitro-razkrije-kdo-je-narochil-policijsko-intervencijo-pri-pershmanu

The incident was also covered by Austrian media (reports in German), including the national public broadcaster ORF and the daily newspaper DER STANDARD. A television segment was featured in the news programme ZIP 2 (starting at minute 16:43).

Title photo: Smrečnik/Novice