Minderheit#

Minority, a concept of International Law defined as a culturally, denominationally, linguistically, ethnically or racially distinct population group that lives within a larger society, does not occupy a dominant position and wishes to preserve its own culture, religion and language. Minorities in Austria: Slovenes in Carinthia and Styria, Croats, Roma and Hungarians ( Hungary - Austria) in Burgenland and Czechs in Vienna; in all, these minorities make up less than 1 % of the total population. Minority rights in Austria are safeguarded by the State Treaty of Saint-Germain (1919), the State Treaty of Vienna (1955), the Minorities' Schools Act for Carinthia (1959), Article 14 of the European Human Rights Convention, the Federal Constitutional Act concerning the Prohibition of Racial Discrimination (1973) and the Ethnic Minorities Act (Volksgruppengesetz) of 1977. In Article 66 (1) and Article 67 of the State Treaty of Saint-Germain Austria undertakes to ensure equal treatment, de jure and de facto, of all citizens irrespective of their race, language or religion. In addition, the protection of minorities in Austria is safeguarded by special rights specifically granted to members of minorities. Under Article 66(4) of the Saint-Germain Treaty Austrian citizens who do not speak German are entitled to the use of their native language before court. Under Article 7 (3) of the State Treaty of Vienna, Slovene and Croat can be used as official languages side by side with German in those administrative and court districts of Carinthia, Burgenland and Styria with Slovene or Croat speaking inhabitants or a mixed population. In addition, topographic names and inscriptions have to be in two languages. This latter point has, since February 1, 1977, been regulated by the Ethnic Minorities Act, which provides that the Federal Government shall, by regulation, determine those areas in which topographic names and inscriptions shall be provided in two languages on the grounds that a relatively large proportion (1 quarter) of the local population in said areas belongs to an ethnic minority. Over and above the general requirement that primary education in their own language is to be provided for all members of an ethnic minority, the Protection of Minorities Act for Carinthia gives minorities in that province a legal claim to the provision of a requisite number of secondary schools offering instruction in their own language ( Schools for Minorities).

Literature#