Yugoslav Workers’ Associations in Austria and Attempts to Organise a Unified Alliance of Yugoslav Workers Associations Abroad

Od 90-ih godina 19. stoljeća do Prvoga svjetskog rata jugoslavenska radnička društva djelovala su u mnogim evropskim središtima – primjerice u Beču, Berlinu, Budimpešti, Münchenu, Parizu i Londonu. Iako su nastala kao kulturno-prosvjetne organizacije, ta su društva imala i političko, socijalističko usmjerenje te su usko surađivala s radničkim pokretom u pojedinim južnoslavenskim i stranim zemljama. U specifičnim uvjetima u inozemstvu često se moglo slobodnije djelovati nego u domovini, a neki pravci jugoslavenskoga radničkog pokreta tako su nastavili svoj rad u stranim sredinama. Beč je inače postao centrom za slovenske i hrvatske socijaldemokrate, a Budimpešta za srpske. Autorica priloga posebno analizira djelatnosti jugoslavenskih radničkih društava u Austriji – »Sloge« u Beču i »Danice« u Grazu. U drugom dijelu raspravlja se o pokušaju osnivanja jedinstvenog saveza jugoslavenskih radničkih društava u inozemstvu. Međutim, uloga tih društava u jugoslavenskom radničkom pokretu gubila se kad su stranke u domovini preuzele vodstvo u pokretu. Zatim, uoči Prvoga svjetskog rata, došlo je do osipanja članstva, djelomično zbog porasta besposlice, a ideja o jedinstvenom savezu bila je tada napuštena.From the last decade of the 19th century to the First World War, Yugoslav workers’ associations carried on their work in major European centres – e. g. in Vienna, Berlin, Budapest, Munich, Paris and London. Although founded as cultural-educational organisations, these associations had a political, socialist orientation as well. They collaborated closely with the labour movements in South Slavic lands and abroad as well. In the specific conditions existing abroad they could often function more freely than in the homeland, and thus some leaders of the Yugoslav workers\u27 movement continued their work in foreign settings. Vienna became a centre for Slovene and Croatian Social Democrats and Budapest for Serbian ones. In her contribution, the author gives particular attention to Yugoslav workers\u27 organisations in Austria – “Sloga” (Unity) in Vienna and “Danica” (The Morning Star) in Graz. In the second part of the text, the attempt to create a unified alliance of Yugoslav workers\u27 associations abroad is discussed. However, the role of these associations in the Yugoslav labour movement was lost when Socio-democratic parties in the homeland took over leadership in the movement. Afterwards, before the outbreak of the First World War, members of the associations were dispersed, partly due to the growth of unemployment. The idea of a unified alliance was given up at that time