Who was dr. Anton Podstenar?

A Chapter from the Contemporary History of the Carinthian Slovenians

Abstract

Between 1966 and 1975 an important discussion »Boj slovenske manjšine v krški škofiji na Koroškem – Avstrija za verski pouk v slovenščini« (Struggle of the Slovenian Minority in the Diocese of Gurk in the Austrian Carinthia for Religious Instruction in the Slovenian Language) was published in the publication Zbornik Svobodne Slovenije (The Register of Free Slovenia). This discussion, regardless of its title, focuses on the whole contemporary political issue of the Carinthian Slovenians in the form of a monograph, also including the history and the international questions. The author of this contribution establishes that Dr. Anton Podstenar, signed as the author of the discussion under consideration, is a pseudonym of Dr. Metod Turnšek. The author of the contribution explores the reason for Dr. Metod Turnšek's use of the pseudonym, the characteristics of Turnšek's publishing work, and the probability that in the preceding years he had also used the pseudonym Ivan Vodovnik. Finally, a few excerpts are included, illustrating Turnšek's radical ideas and ambitious style.