Slovenia expects an explanation regarding the actions of Austrian authorities at the Peršman Museum
Slovenia expects the competent authorities of the Republic of Austria to conduct a transparent investigation of the incident, and provide a credible and comprehensive explanation of the reasons, conduct and consequences of the police operation.
Matej Arčon, Deputy Prime Minister of the Republic of Slovenia and Minister for Slovenians Abroad, expressed distress and concern over the police raid of the Peršman Homestead, which he described as an extremely worrying incident. He added that "the fact that 30 armed police officers with dogs, a helicopter and drones arrived at a student camp over suspected administrative offences raises serious doubts about the proportionality of the police response. The Government strongly supports the Carinthian Slovenians’ calls to federal and regional authorities to thoroughly investigate and explain the circumstances and background of the police operation". He stressed: "We will use all diplomatic channels to demand transparent and clear answers. We expect Austria to act in a mature manner and in line with European democratic standards. If it is confirmed that there was an abuse of power and excessive use of force, we expect appropriate consequences for those responsible." He went on to say that the incident was profoundly traumatic for the members of the Slovenian minority in Austrian Carinthia, "not only for the camp organisers and participants but for the entire community" and that the Government has been "in close contact with them since yesterday".
On Sunday, 27 July 2025, the Peršman Homestead was the scene of an extensive police operation involving several dozen police officers, including special unit members, a helicopter, drones and the canine unit. Like the year before, the site where the police operation took place was hosting an international anti-fascist education camp dedicated to the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. In the form of lectures and workshops, the participants discussed the role of antifascism in Austria and Europe and the forms of decent remembrance. The police conducted a search of the premises and an identification of the participants. The cited reasons for the intervention were alleged camping and nature protection violations, but the most concerning was the publicly cited claim that the event itself was supposedly inappropriate for the memorial site. This kind of assessment, made despite the museum's support for the event and despite the presence of descendants of anti-Nazi fighters and victims, raises serious questions about the understanding of historical education and commemorative practices.
The Peršman Homestead is one of the key memorial sites for Carinthian Slovenians. It is a place where, on 25 April 1945, just before the end of the Second World War, Nazi units brutally murdered 11 members of the Sadovnik and Kogoj families – including children and unarmed civilians. Today it is home to a museum dedicated to preserving the memory of Nazi violence, researching the history of resistance and transferring anti-fascist and democratic values to future generations.
In recent years, the Peršman Homestead has been recognised as a model space of education, dialogue and connection between young people, teachers, researchers and victims’ descendants. That is why the presence of security forces in such large numbers in a place of such symbolic importance and on such a sensitive anniversary raises serious concerns – not only legal and political, but also of moral and ethical nature.
Slovenia and Austria are long-time partners that share a common historical responsibility and commitment to European values. The Government of the Republic of Slovenia therefore expects that the responsible authorities of the Republic of Austria will enable an independent clarification of the incident, explain the reasons for initiating such an intervention and ensure that any proceedings against organisers and participants are based on respect for rights, law and sensitivity to the significance of the site and the people there. In this light, Minister Arčon said: "We still hope that this year’s anniversary will bring a step forward in the implementation of the provisions of the Austrian State Treaty," stressing that it would be "a great shame if incidents like the one yesterday overshadowed common efforts for progress". He also expressed gratitude for support from Austria: "Some optimism can be drawn from the numerous messages of solidarity received by the representatives of Carinthian Slovenians from renowned political and cultural figures in the Republic of Austria." He added that "we expect both the Federal Chancellor and the Governor of Carinthia to make a public statement about the incident", concluding: "In this moment, democrats in both countries must show a common will and determination if we want a Europe of mutual respect, not of accusations and hate. A Europe of dialogue and not of police raids."