Decades after the Great War, there have been numerous initiatives seeking to remember and honor the fallen war heroes. A number of years ago, a particular initiative was realized. This is the initiative that gave birth to the Italian- Austrian peace encounters in remembrance of the fallen victims of the great civil war, which has now become a tradition that is recognized internationally. The founder and tireless organizer Mario Eichta, is the son of an important and prominent citizen of the thence Trentino community Louis Eichta, who was arrested on May 26, 1915 in Merano by Austro-Hungarian police and interned as a suspected irredentist political activist in the notorious internment camp of Katzenau in the outskirts of Linz, and then confined to Hollabrunn. His son Mario Eichta then felt the need to commemorate all victims of the Great War, both military and civilian.

The meetings of the Italian-Austrian peace began in 1992 at Ossario al Passo del Tonale (City of Vermilion) with the presence of the then Foreign Ministers of Italy and Austria, Emilio Colombo and Alois Mock, followed in 1993 with the minister at the Forte Mock Luserna in 1994 at the military cemetery in Forge, which belongs to Ossana, in 1995 at the Military Cemetery in St. Giuliana in the town of Vigo di Fassa, in 1996 at the Military Cemetery in the town of Slaghenaufi Lavarone, in 1997 at the military cemetery of Bondo and in 1998 at the town of Pejo Much of Trentino, then called the Italian Tyrol, had been forcibly evacuated by the imperial-royal Austro-Hungary military authorities and the population of the valleys were distributed in various unsorted remote locations within the former Austro-Hungarian Empire, about 70,000 people women, the elderly and children.

The Trentini’s together with other imperial subjects of the Italian decent were displaced for example the populations of ‘Ampezzo, Eastern Friuli, Istria, the territory of Fiume and Dalmatia. Other civilians of the Italian decent but subjects of the Austro- Hungarian army suspected to be sympathetic towards the Italians were accused of irredentism, and suffered rather brutal arrests and horrible deportations. Many refugees the interned and the confined died of starvation and disease away from their Trentino and other places of origin.

NOW LET US ASK THE COMMANDER/ORGANISER EICHTA THE CHRONOLOGY OF THE “ENCOUNTERS”

“I have retained the data and also personal experiences of families that suffered directly , and it was right to unite in remembrance and honor of the dead and even the civilian victims of the Great War, often forgotten, and that is why I moved on amid difficulties, three Italian-Austrian meetings and I am in the process of organizing a fourth one: In 1999 in the Italian military cemetery of the Great War of Haselbach, at Branau am Inn, where in addition to thousands of Italian prisoners, were at least 15,000 refugees from the Trentino, and in 2000 in Landègg, near the town of Pottendorf, after visiting Hollabrunn and Mitterndorf an der Fisch, locations that were also sites of large refugee camps, and in 2001 in Civil and Military Cemetery Linz, the burial site of all the politicians who died interned in the infamous internment camps of Katzenau“. In 2002 the event was held again in Trentino, this being the 11th meeting of the Italian-Austrian peace memorial.

The Alpine group of Caoria had restored the local military cemetery, the burial place of all the fallen, Italian and Austro-Hungarian war victims, on mountain Caoria and other mountain tops at Lagorai, and had decided, in agree¬ment with their municipality of Canal San Bovo, to formalize such a renewal with a dignified international event. The municipality of Canal San Bovo enquired of Eichta’s immediate availability and willingness in organinizing the Italian-Austrian peace. Coupled with his experience and sensitivity, now internationally recognized, he was able to realize later, even on this occasion. Eichta In 2003 also organized a meeting for peace in the Austro-Hungarian at the military cemetery of San Michele, in the province Venice. On 19th June 2004 he organized an International o ceremony in Austria, at the Military Cem¬etery in the popular resort of Mauthausen, 32 km from Linz. It was the 13th meeting of the Italian-Austrian peace whose meaning and significance will remain memorable. Eichta In 2005 also organized a meeting for peace in Rivoli Veronese, in the province Verona.

On 3rd September 2006, the 15th Italian-Austrian peace meeting was held in Italy at the Military Cemetery in Tonezza, Cimone. On July 29, 2007 The 16th meeting was held at the military cemetery of Laghi in the province of Vicenza. Then Eichta organized the 17th meeting of the Italian-Austrian peace in remembrance of the dead and also the victims of the Great Civil War on Sunday, 5th October, 2008 at the military cemetery of the Great War of Arsiero, again in the province of Vicenza. The 18th Italian-Austrian meeting was held at the Italian military cemetery of Marchtrenk (in the Upper Austria region) on 9th October 2009. The 19th Meeting will be held in Feltre in July 2010 at the Austro-Hungarian military cemetery near the Italian Shrine.

AGAIN, LET US ASK THE COMMANDER/ORGANISER, MARIO EICHTA , WHAT ARE THE EVALUATIONS AND CONSIDERATIONS REGARDING THE CHOICE OF VENUES OF THE PEACE MEETINGS?

“I have ensured that the commemorative ceremonies, have been accompanied by internal cultural manifestations, typical of Type of historical conventions, concerts by the choirs of the mountainside, shows and exhibitions, excursions to the places that were the scene of bloody fighting, visiting former prison camps, annual historical heritage publications etc., that takes place right where the soldiers fought or suffered imprisonment or where they were buried. Thus, to be present in these holy places of which sometimes may involve small sacrifices, has helped in understanding better the living conditions, which were endured by the fighters, united by the same sense of duty.

They were united under different flags and in service of their country sacrificed their youth in actions that were courageous and heroic. I have also chosen for the refugees, the interred and the confines of Austria places often inexplicably forgotten about their suffering and humiliation, where many of their remains were buried. The ceremonies just like the Italian-Austrian peace meetings call for the reflection and promotion of conscience for all and certainly the true spirit of peace that was suffered and later claimed by the people who are the real protagonists and vigilant managers of the popular diplomacy of peace, which the world is still in so much need. Let us not forget that wars do not end with the treaties, but still continue for years for the widows, the orphans, those maimed because of the war and for girlfriends and wives who saw their dreams fade and break their just aspirations.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO ADD?

“The last century has brought us two world wars and many moments of international tension that could turn into a third world war. This is where the history teacher who often finds students inexplicably inattentive and ready to repeat certain mistakes , to hand down to posterity the memories and judgments about mourning, about the destruction of war, on the strength of the evacuation of civilians, on the cruelty of the Interior and the measures of confinement for political suspicions that the great war has entailed. Today it is necessary to raise awareness among young people often distracted and seemingly uninterested in those tragic events, remembered even with these initiatives. The personal testimony of everyone, especially those who suffered at first hand the tragedy of war, in respect and remembrance of all the victims of any war, can become for many young people a further sign of hope, one they badly need, and allowing them and their families to have their own future, but serene and with a strong and constructive European spirit that may contribute to dialogue and cooperation between the people of the world“.