After Burgenland had become part of Austria, the new Austrian province was an indenpendent country for the very first time. Red and gold were chosen its colours, Saint Martin became its patron, and also a capitol was to be determined, because Ödenburg stayed with Hungary. At least four very small towns im Burgenland tried to: Eisenstadt, Sauerbrunn (being a well-known spa in the northern part of Burgenland), Mattersdorf (now Mattersburg) and Pinkafeld, which is near Oberwart. In 1925, the Burgenland Landtag (which means „parliament") decided that all its meetings were to be held in Eisenstadt. In fact, because politicians were still in hope that Ödenburg sometimes would be connected with Burgenland, they did not dare to determine Eisenstadt as a capitol already. This was to be done in the 80’s.

The years between World War I and World War II, that is between around 1920 and 1938, are called the „Zwischenkriegszeit" in Austria. At that time, people in Burgenland suffered a lot from poverty and even starvation. That is why more than 7.000 Burgenländer left their home country to emigrate to the United States and other oversea areas merely in 1923. About 25.000 Burgenländer altogether came to America during the „Zwischenkriegszeit".

The children were only for six years in school. So analphabetism was very common in Burgenland. Due to the fact, that in the former Hungarian primary schools teachers had not been allowed to teach German, the young Burgenländer spoke either Hungarian nor German well. Besides this, parents wanted them rather to help more in the daily rural work than to go to school. Schools in Burgenland (except federal schools) were in the hand of the Catholic or Lutheran Church.

There was no town im Burgenland with more than 5.000 inhabitants, no road linking south to north, just rarely railroads.

Like in all the other Austrian provinces conflicts between the greater political parties got harder and harder. Those were, on one hand, the Socialist Party, which the increasing number of factory workers was voting for. On the other hand, farmers and storekeepers were voting for the Christian Popular Party (christlich-sozial). When in 1927 a socialst supporter and a young boy were killed while participating in a political rally in Schattendorf (near Mattersburg), there was no more prospect of reconciliation.

Since 1933, there was only one political party in Austria: the Christian populars. Chancellor Engelbert Dollfuß and his government were ruling over Austria without a parliament,

national-socialist and communist activities were prohibited. Democracy in Austria and Burgenland was exstinguished.

In 1934, things really resulted in two civil wars, about 400 people were killed:

On Feburary 12th Socialists and Christian-Populars were fighting in several Austrian cities like Vienna or Linz. Even Heimwehr and Armed Forces (Bundesheer) had to help to end these fightings. This was a very big shock for our country, but not the last one. On July 25th illegal National- Socialists tried to obtain government in Austria. They occupied the office of chancellor Engelbert Dollfuß and shot him.

His successor in office Kurt Schuschnigg could not maintain and save Austria’s independence.

In 1938 Austria was occupied by the Nazi troops and became part of Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich. In October, Burgenland was dissolved: the northern part was connected to Lower Austria (Lower Danube), the southern to Styria. After only 17 years the province of Burgenland did not exist anymore.

September 1st 1939 the „German Wehrmacht" occupied Poland. World War II had begun.

Mag. Walter Dujmovits, jun.

To be continued.