THE ŠTAJERC NEWSPAPER DURING THE FIRST WORLD WAR

Diplomsko delo obravnava obdobje prve svetovne vojne in prikazuje preganjanje Slovencev, majniško deklaracijo, deklaracijsko gibanje ter kulturne dogodke skozi oči časnika Štajerc. Osnovni vir za diplomsko delo je torej predstavljal nemško orientirani časnik Štajerc, ki je izhajal od leta 1900 do 1918 v ptujski »nemški trdnjavi«. Le-ta je močno zaznamovala njegovo pisanje o dogodkih in njegova stališča, saj je prinašal članke naklonjene Nemcem in njihovim privržencem ter članke uperjene proti narodno zavednim Slovencem. V duhu močnega avstrijskega patriotizma in nemške orientacije je zato odobraval aretacije Slovencev v prvih letih vojne, ostro kritiziral majniško deklaracijo in nasprotoval deklaracijskemu gibanju ter se veselil protideklaracijskih izjav in shodov. Zaradi okrnjenega kulturnega življenja med prvo svetovno vojno je redko poročal o kulturnih dogodkih. Čeprav je bil nemško orientiran, je bil pisan v slovenskem jeziku, da bi se čimbolj približal slovenskemu kmetu na podeželju, kateremu je bil namenjen.The diploma thesis presents the WWI period, the persecution of the Slovenes, the Majniška deklaracija (the May Declaration) and its movement, as well as cultural events presented in the Štajerc newspaper. Thus, a primary source for the thesis was a German oriented newspaper Štajerc, published between 1900 and 1918 in a »German fortress« Ptuj. The style of writing in the Štajerc was highly influenced by mainly German residents, as the articles were in favour of German speaking people and against nationally conscious Slovenes. Therefore, on the spirit of strong Austrian patriotism and German orientation the arrest of the Slovenes in the first years of the war were approved, the Declaration was criticized, its movement opposed and the counter declaration statements and gatherings favoured. On account of a limited cultural life during the WWI the cultural events were rarely presented. Although German oriented it was still written in the Slovene language in order to be available to the Slovene peasants, for whom it was also meant