Actually, those who really believe that Slovenia didn't exist until 1920 or so, just do not understand world history. The Slovenians were in that part of the planet for hundreds of year before that. Actually for over a millennium before that. The Slavs emigrated from around the current Baltic countries starting around 400 or 500 AD and concentrated themselves a couple hundred miles east of Kaernten/Slovenia before moving elsewhere--Slovenia being just one of those elsewheres...

Check this Wikipedia article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Carantania. There are lots of other historical accounts of Slovenia, Carantania, and Carinthia. So, this shouldn't come much as a surprise. The northern half of former Slovenia (Carniola--600 AD or so) just happens to be present-day Kaernten...

The Bavarians settled most of what is Austria today by gradually moving out the Slovenians over the past seven hundred years. But the Slovenians never went far away. That why it's easy for them to return.

Different ethnic groups should be proud if they share history on the same land.

As for the origin of the Slovenians, I can warmly recommend the book "Veneti: First Builders of European Community" by authors Savli, Bor and Tomazic. The English version of the book is described at http://www.dangel.net/SLOVENIA/Veneti.html

You may inquire with Anton Skerbinc who made the English translation and distributes it. When I was in touch with him a few years ago, his e-mail address was anton at kootenay dot com.

Hi, Gary and Fritz (guessing from emails :) ),

it is great to hear for a member of a "small" nation that there are men who know so much about it and its achievements.

But I guess we know that who learns to know and respect others (and other nations & civilizations) inherently builds respect of/for himself.

All the best in 2009!!

Recently saw your posting looking for information on Mortl/Grailer. My Grandfather was Paul Mortl (Moertl) born 4/17/1865 and died 9/15 1942. He married Agnes Grailer in Notch Austria 1/15/1893. Notch in in Karten, Austria in the Gailtal Valley. Agnes was born 11/2/1869 and died 1/3/1945.
My E-mail address is mert77@wi.rr.com

Joe Moertl

the correct name of place is Nötsch :o)
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/N%C3%B6tsch_im_Gailtal
http://www.noetsch.at/fs-index0.html
http://www.noetsch.at/
http://www.austria-navigator.de/KA/9611_noetsch_im_gailtal.h...
http://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gailtal
http://de.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Datei:Noetsch_Saak...
http://www.aeiou.at/aeiou.stamp.1995.950324a;internal&ac...
http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Dobratsch

discese-archive in Klagenfurt:
http://www.kath-kirche-kaernten.at/pages/orgeinh.asp?id=1013