The ceremony of enthronment of the Carinthian princes is one of the rare examples of state tradition in Central Europe. After the disintegration of the Habsburg empire this tradition is reclaimed both by Austrian Carinthians, dominated by German-speaking population, and Slovenians. The latter claim that medieval Carinthia was a predecessor of the contemporary Slavic state, what is an usurpation for the first ones. The 'knezji kamen', or princes' stone, is an ancient monument and a testimony to this ceremony, materializing its symbolic meanings. Austrian-Slovenian conflict about who has the right to use this symbol is considered here in a broader context of the Slovenian national narrative. A discussion of this and other symbols can point some major aspects of Slovanian cultural identity.
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