Heute am Vormittag besuchte die EL das Konzentrationslager Ebensee, wo die EL auch einen Kranz in Gedenken an die getöten Antifaschisten und Antifaschistinnen niederlegte.

Ein französischer Genosse erzählte, dass sein Großvater, der in der FKP aktiv war, in Ebensee inhaftiert war. Short historical notes on the region “Inner Salzkammergut”

The region we have chosen for the 2nd Summer University of the European Left Party gives wide opportunities to study cultural and political traditions of the working people. In this region is the world’s oldest salt mine that has been in operation for more than 4 000 years. Consequently artefacts are found from the oldest European cultures: Illyrian, Celtic and Roman As salt was a very valid commodity the “Salzkammergut”, as this region is called, was in the Middle Ages directly under the rule of the dukes of Austria to secure a direct form of income to the coffers of the Hapsburgs. The workers in the salt mines and the timber workers formed a very early proletariat in the late Middle Ages.

During the short civil war of February 1934 the railway workers joined in the insurrection and many of them lost their work and even had to flee the country. After 3 days of fighting the armed forces took full command and the rests of democracy in Austria were destroyed. The trade unions and the Social-Democratic Party were dissolved. The Communist Party had already been forbidden in 1933 as well as the armed wing of the Social Democrats, Parliament had been dissolved in 1933 as well)

Quite a few activists joined the Communist Party afterwards out of disappointment with the lack of support from the social-democratic leadership and illegal cells of the party were formed in Hallstatt, Bad Goisern and in some smaller communities. Franz Kain, a well known novelist and member of the CPA to his death was one of the active figures at that time. But due to the mainly protestant faith of the local people the Nazi movement (illegal at that time as well) grew also considerably.

Just 30 km away in Ebensee there has been a concentration camp during the Nazi regime in Austria, where many Europeans were murdered. In this town an active anti fascist group is running a memorial centre. The town has declared itself as the first Austrian ATTAC town.

After the war the Communist Party had strong positions in the Inner Salzkammergut. For example the first major of Bad Goisern was the communist and writer Arnold Bronnen, who happened to be there with his parents who fled the bombardment of Linz (capital of the federate state and the site of big armament industry during the war).The American forces made him major for a few weeks, before he left for good for Berlin.

After the first democratic elections the Social Democrats took power and have been holding it till then in the whole region, nearly never loosing their absolute majority.

A few years ago the UNESCO decided to put the region on the lists of natural as well as cultural heritage of humankind.

Thanks to Comrade Manuel Pérez Fernández.