Europe and the changing matters of identity. Three generations, those were three completely different types of Europe. My grandfather Richard was subject of the Habsburgs, living in a multi-ethnic empire. At its time this Austria was the largest Slavic state in the world after Russia.

My father Hubert was a soldier of a criminal system. He served in an army that saw themselves as part of a “master race”, occupying territories, turning people into “subhuman beings“, making them their slaves.

I am a child of the Cold War. I grew up with the concept that a certain ethnic group should dominate in a nation-state. My identity was shaped by the remnants of the Nazi ideology, but also by television and advertising.

In recent years, people told us that their identity is at risk because two letters on the licence plates of their cars have changed. Some argued, their identity would be threatened because of the village in which they live, is incorporated the closest big city.

In a survey half of the respondents claimed about, Islam would threaten the Austrian culture. Many of my people so many years comment about identity and about our culture obviously without the slightest idea what they are talking about. They do not express any clear idea of their identity or our culture, but they feel threatened in it.

They say, Islam Islam would threaten the Austrian culture
(Source: Der Standard at Krusches Logbook)

This means that they do not even know what they actually fear. Unfortunately we are only told that they fear. I think this is a major problem of identity, but it does not come from the outside, it is rooted in their own behavior.

Is it a lack of interest, is it ignorance or a solid education problem? Why someone claims to have culture and a sense of identity when these features, as we can see, are like empty containers to be filled with whatever?

I think it is mainly an expression of a mass culture, arbitrary negotiable in the cultural and psychological categories. This arbitrariness is necessary where underpaid and therefore usually moderately skilled media professionals have to deal with the big issues of Europe

Outraged mayor: Aussee without BA
(“Aussee ohne BA: Bürgermeister empört“)

The mayors of the municipalities Ausseer made on Thursday their anger at the decision Plate air and spoke of arrogance on state government level and loss of identity for the region. („Die Bürgermeister der Ausseer Gemeinden machten am Donnerstag ihrem Ärger über die Kennzeichen-Entscheidung Luft und sprachen von Arroganz auf Landesregierungsebene und Identitätsverlust für die Region.“ [Source]

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