1985: Preparing for Ugandan Democracy in Unterolberndorf

When nine men from Uganda checked into the “zum Grünen Jäger” guesthouse in Unterolberndorf (Lower Austria) for four days on 15 June 1985, they had come to write world history. As members of the National Resistance Movement fighting the dictatorship in Uganda, they were only able to meet in a neutral country such as Austria. Here they drafted the foundations for a just form of government. These “Unterolberndorf Papers” turned Uganda into a democracy that integrated as many different groups as possible.

Among those who worked in Unterolberndorf, Yoweri Museweni played a central role. In 1986 he became president of Uganda and has been voted back in at every election since. His governments have successively dismantled the country’s democratic structures and during the 2021 elections, international observers reported concerns about the way the election was being run.

Recognition of how important the visit by the African guests had been was late in coming in Unterolberndorf. It was only when President Museweni visited Unterolberndorf in 1994 that projects were launched to create new connections between the village in Lower Austria and the country in East Africa.