25 / 2007

Marko Zajc

The Problem of “affi liation” of Žumberk and Marindol people in decades before and after the dissolution of Vojna krajina in 1881

ABSTRACT
On the relatively small territory of Obkolpje (the territory on the both side of Slovenian-Croatian river Kolpa-Kupa), three administrational and political entities: Carniola (Bela krajina), millitary frontier called Vojna krajina (Žumberk in Marindol) and civilian Croatia, had coexisted for centuries. Such administrative arrangement determined the structure of inhabitants substantially. State and administrative border between Austrian provinces as a part of the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation (until 1806), German confederation (until 1866) and Austrian part of the Austria-Hungary (1867–1918) and, on the other side, Croatia as a part of Hungarian kingdom, was markedly different from present-day slovenian-croatian state border. Žumberk and Marindol were juridically on Carniola territory, but under millitary administration of Vojna krajina, which was under direct control of Vienna. After provisionally annexation of Žumberk and Marindol to Croatia in 1881, when the millitary frontier was abolished, Carniola came into a conflict with Croatia regarding the question of affiliation of these territories. Carniola demanded Žumberk and Marindol on the bases of historical law. The dispute was not solved until the end of habsburg monarchy in 1918. The essay makes an attempt to present, on the basis of historical sources, what sort of opinion about their “affiliation” had the people of Žumberk and Marindol themselves. The accessible historical sources are problematic, because they are more or less indirect and very ideological. It seems that the locals of Žumberk in Marindol shifted in their “affiliation”, which is proven by various petitions for annexation of Žumberk and Marindol to Carniola or Croatia. The essay also describes life conditions in Žumberk and Marindol, and the importance of this factor for locals’ “affiliation” to Carniola or Croatia.

25 / 2007

Marko Zajc

The Problem of “affi liation” of Žumberk and Marindol people in decades before and after the dissolution of Vojna krajina in 1881

ABSTRACT
On the relatively small territory of Obkolpje (the territory on the both side of Slovenian-Croatian river Kolpa-Kupa), three administrational and political entities: Carniola (Bela krajina), millitary frontier called Vojna krajina (Žumberk in Marindol) and civilian Croatia, had coexisted for centuries. Such administrative arrangement determined the structure of inhabitants substantially. State and administrative border between Austrian provinces as a part of the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation (until 1806), German confederation (until 1866) and Austrian part of the Austria-Hungary (1867–1918) and, on the other side, Croatia as a part of Hungarian kingdom, was markedly different from present-day slovenian-croatian state border. Žumberk and Marindol were juridically on Carniola territory, but under millitary administration of Vojna krajina, which was under direct control of Vienna. After provisionally annexation of Žumberk and Marindol to Croatia in 1881, when the millitary frontier was abolished, Carniola came into a conflict with Croatia regarding the question of affiliation of these territories. Carniola demanded Žumberk and Marindol on the bases of historical law. The dispute was not solved until the end of habsburg monarchy in 1918. The essay makes an attempt to present, on the basis of historical sources, what sort of opinion about their “affiliation” had the people of Žumberk and Marindol themselves. The accessible historical sources are problematic, because they are more or less indirect and very ideological. It seems that the locals of Žumberk in Marindol shifted in their “affiliation”, which is proven by various petitions for annexation of Žumberk and Marindol to Carniola or Croatia. The essay also describes life conditions in Žumberk and Marindol, and the importance of this factor for locals’ “affiliation” to Carniola or Croatia.

24 / 2006

Darja Gorjup

MIGRATION OF WOMEN FROM GABERJE IN VIPAVSKA BRDA BETWEEN THE YEARS 1920-1954

Presented in the contribution are commercial journeys of the Gaberje women and the influence of those on the role of women in the family and in the village. Women from Vipavska brda were setting out on their journeys not wishing to become rich but in the necessity for survival. Because of circumstances in which they lived, their life of a peasant housewife was all but being shut between the four walls. The women played several roles: they were mothers, wives, daughters-in-law, villagers, traders, smugglers, perhaps even adventuresses, and migrants. They moved to the neighbouring towns and to the countryside and thus circulated between home and source of income for the essential necessities of life. Particularly women with small children sought a compromise and thus did not emigrate permanently; they just circulated. Thus, they were still able to carry out the role of the mother and wife and take care of inflow of money into the household.
The word with which women themselves denote their commercial routes and themselves is brangerstvo or brangerca, meaning a woman who in the dealt period transported by various manners eggs, butter, seasonal vegetables, raspberries, meat, strong liquor and other products to Italian towns, sold them there or exchanged, and brought home some money or exchanged provisions and domestic necessaries, which otherwise could not be bought (macaroni, soap).The changing of political circumstances and consequently of state borders, influenced the course of commercial routes.
The reasons for migration of each woman from Gaberje have multiple causes. Although roughly we can comprise them in the social economic situation, (each collocutor tells the principle reason for migrations was poverty) each woman has a story of her own and own motives. In the forefront placed Olga’s story corresponds to the stories of the rest of women from Gaberje and is valuable because Olga too was going to Trieste along the paths her mother walked.
Although the journeys were undoubtedly physically straining, the women thus encountered the world not seen from their village. They saw Trieste, a large and in their eyes a rich town. The journeys of small groups of women who knew each other were everything but a commercial march in silence. The women made jokes, laughed, sang, shared advice – as well commercial as those more concerning family life.
The money the brangerce earned presented their at least partial financial independence. The journeys were to them a brief absence from their children and husbands and were actually time of their own. The earned money also influenced the social development of the village, the change of the status of women, family steadiness, and traditional social patterns of marital stability. In Gaberje, the power of women within families grew as they had access to own money. Although they used it for the family, above all for the children and food, the women decided on it. The life standard of families rose, although gradually, because of their journeys as well.

24 / 2006

Darja Gorjup

MIGRATION OF WOMEN FROM GABERJE IN VIPAVSKA BRDA BETWEEN THE YEARS 1920-1954

Presented in the contribution are commercial journeys of the Gaberje women and the influence of those on the role of women in the family and in the village. Women from Vipavska brda were setting out on their journeys not wishing to become rich but in the necessity for survival. Because of circumstances in which they lived, their life of a peasant housewife was all but being shut between the four walls. The women played several roles: they were mothers, wives, daughters-in-law, villagers, traders, smugglers, perhaps even adventuresses, and migrants. They moved to the neighbouring towns and to the countryside and thus circulated between home and source of income for the essential necessities of life. Particularly women with small children sought a compromise and thus did not emigrate permanently; they just circulated. Thus, they were still able to carry out the role of the mother and wife and take care of inflow of money into the household.
The word with which women themselves denote their commercial routes and themselves is brangerstvo or brangerca, meaning a woman who in the dealt period transported by various manners eggs, butter, seasonal vegetables, raspberries, meat, strong liquor and other products to Italian towns, sold them there or exchanged, and brought home some money or exchanged provisions and domestic necessaries, which otherwise could not be bought (macaroni, soap).The changing of political circumstances and consequently of state borders, influenced the course of commercial routes.
The reasons for migration of each woman from Gaberje have multiple causes. Although roughly we can comprise them in the social economic situation, (each collocutor tells the principle reason for migrations was poverty) each woman has a story of her own and own motives. In the forefront placed Olga’s story corresponds to the stories of the rest of women from Gaberje and is valuable because Olga too was going to Trieste along the paths her mother walked.
Although the journeys were undoubtedly physically straining, the women thus encountered the world not seen from their village. They saw Trieste, a large and in their eyes a rich town. The journeys of small groups of women who knew each other were everything but a commercial march in silence. The women made jokes, laughed, sang, shared advice – as well commercial as those more concerning family life.
The money the brangerce earned presented their at least partial financial independence. The journeys were to them a brief absence from their children and husbands and were actually time of their own. The earned money also influenced the social development of the village, the change of the status of women, family steadiness, and traditional social patterns of marital stability. In Gaberje, the power of women within families grew as they had access to own money. Although they used it for the family, above all for the children and food, the women decided on it. The life standard of families rose, although gradually, because of their journeys as well.

24 / 2006

Andrej Vovko

SOME ASPECTS OF THE LIFE OF THE PRIMORJE IMMIGRANTS TO PREKMURJE BETWEEN THE TWO WORLD WARS

ABSTRACT
Prekmurje has been and to some extent is until the present day one of the most typical geographic regions of mass Slovene emigration. Less typical and considerably less numerous is especially in past historical periods the reverse process: the process of immigrating in Prekmurje. The first Slovenes that have in a larger number immigrated to Prekmurje were undoubtedly the refugees from Primorska who after 1918 fled mainly from the Italian denationalisation violence, particularly after its aggravation after the fascist takeover of power. The Isonzo front during World War I and even more the above mentioned, and the denationalisation measures of the Italian authorities, banished from their homes over 100.000 Slovenes from Primorje and Istrian Croats of whom the majority after 1918 resorted to the newly founded South Slav state, and the rest mainly to Western Europe and South America, particularly Argentina. In the first period, they as mainly liberally and Yugoslav centralistic oriented, were given work in not too popular state vocations (thus, in the police, the customs etc.); later, during the economic crisis, the local population considered them unwanted competition in the struggle for the scant everyday bread. The word “Primorec” meant in many an environment of the homeland a true verbal abuse.
To the Yugoslav state in 1919 annexed Prekmurje offered some possibilities for the survival of the above mentioned emigrants from Primorska, above all teachers who with their Yugoslav and liberal orientation resolutely and to a certain extent as a foreign body intervened in the there, with a specific historical development defined social, religious, economic and cultural environment. The state authorities settled near Dolnja Lendava in Petišovci, Benica and Pince several tens of emigrant peasant families from Primorje and Istria. All the mentioned aspects of the life of the Primorje immigrants and refugees are merely briefly presented in the treatise.

24 / 2006

Andrej Vovko

SOME ASPECTS OF THE LIFE OF THE PRIMORJE IMMIGRANTS TO PREKMURJE BETWEEN THE TWO WORLD WARS

ABSTRACT
Prekmurje has been and to some extent is until the present day one of the most typical geographic regions of mass Slovene emigration. Less typical and considerably less numerous is especially in past historical periods the reverse process: the process of immigrating in Prekmurje. The first Slovenes that have in a larger number immigrated to Prekmurje were undoubtedly the refugees from Primorska who after 1918 fled mainly from the Italian denationalisation violence, particularly after its aggravation after the fascist takeover of power. The Isonzo front during World War I and even more the above mentioned, and the denationalisation measures of the Italian authorities, banished from their homes over 100.000 Slovenes from Primorje and Istrian Croats of whom the majority after 1918 resorted to the newly founded South Slav state, and the rest mainly to Western Europe and South America, particularly Argentina. In the first period, they as mainly liberally and Yugoslav centralistic oriented, were given work in not too popular state vocations (thus, in the police, the customs etc.); later, during the economic crisis, the local population considered them unwanted competition in the struggle for the scant everyday bread. The word “Primorec” meant in many an environment of the homeland a true verbal abuse.
To the Yugoslav state in 1919 annexed Prekmurje offered some possibilities for the survival of the above mentioned emigrants from Primorska, above all teachers who with their Yugoslav and liberal orientation resolutely and to a certain extent as a foreign body intervened in the there, with a specific historical development defined social, religious, economic and cultural environment. The state authorities settled near Dolnja Lendava in Petišovci, Benica and Pince several tens of emigrant peasant families from Primorje and Istria. All the mentioned aspects of the life of the Primorje immigrants and refugees are merely briefly presented in the treatise.

24 / 2006

Uroš Bonšek

»BECAUSE IF YOU CAN’T SPEAK THE SLOVENE LANGUAGE, IT’S AS IF YOU WEREN’T SLOVENE«: (THE ROLE OF THE SLOVENE LANGUAGE IN SHAPING THE ETHNIC IDENTITY OF THE THIRD AND FOURTH GENERATIONS OF SLOVENE POLITICAL EMIGRANTS IN ARGENTINA

ABSTRACT
This text examines the role of the Slovene language in shaping the ethnic identity of the third and fourth generations of Slovene political emigrants (SPE) in Argentina. They are (were) a specifically homogeneous group, closed for foreign, Argentinean influences, which includes the language as well. The high cultural consciousness and regard for Slovene traditions and folklore helped form numerous cultural associations, where creativity and communication were allowed only in Slovene language – with any violation of these rules resulting in serious moral accusations.

The research dates to April 2006, when it was carried out among the pupils of Saturday Slovene language schools and the students of the Slovene matura course, both in Buenos Aires. Its main target group were the third and fourth generations of SPE, who are, in contrast to their (grand) parents, very much acculturated. They feel a strong emotional attachment to the Slovene language, yet it is limited to the symbolic level, while the communicative function of Slovene is highly neglected and mostly limited to the family. In that environment, as much as 82 % still speak Slovene while the respondents generally speak Spanish (97 %) among themselves. However, it is important to appreciate the incalculable value of its symbolic role as the Slovene language presents the bond of the SPE descendants with the Slovene culture. It could be stated that for them, the Slovene language is the Slovene culture.
The Slovene language remains to this day respected and appreciated among the SPE descendants. Being aware of its value with regard to the future existence of the community, they still learn the language. Admittedly its communicative function is limited, yet for the young, it presents a point of identification i.e. the essence of being Slovene. A number of answers confirmed the role of the Slovene language as the main identification element. Although the questions might have been rather complicated for the young between 12 and 14, the majority of the answers were unambiguous and very importantly, written in very good Slovene.
It can be claimed that the Slovene language is a major ethnic identity element for the representatives of the third and forth generations of SPE. Their straightforward plans to keep preserving the Slovene language (74 % intend to continue learning Slovene), together with the majority (94 %) intending to pass the language to their own children, show the awareness of the young towards the (symbolic) role of the language. For the majority of them, the language remains the bond with the mother country of their parents and in symbolic value, it highly precedes the Spanish language which is only the language of their native country.

24 / 2006

Uroš Bonšek

»BECAUSE IF YOU CAN’T SPEAK THE SLOVENE LANGUAGE, IT’S AS IF YOU WEREN’T SLOVENE«: (THE ROLE OF THE SLOVENE LANGUAGE IN SHAPING THE ETHNIC IDENTITY OF THE THIRD AND FOURTH GENERATIONS OF SLOVENE POLITICAL EMIGRANTS IN ARGENTINA

ABSTRACT
This text examines the role of the Slovene language in shaping the ethnic identity of the third and fourth generations of Slovene political emigrants (SPE) in Argentina. They are (were) a specifically homogeneous group, closed for foreign, Argentinean influences, which includes the language as well. The high cultural consciousness and regard for Slovene traditions and folklore helped form numerous cultural associations, where creativity and communication were allowed only in Slovene language – with any violation of these rules resulting in serious moral accusations.

The research dates to April 2006, when it was carried out among the pupils of Saturday Slovene language schools and the students of the Slovene matura course, both in Buenos Aires. Its main target group were the third and fourth generations of SPE, who are, in contrast to their (grand) parents, very much acculturated. They feel a strong emotional attachment to the Slovene language, yet it is limited to the symbolic level, while the communicative function of Slovene is highly neglected and mostly limited to the family. In that environment, as much as 82 % still speak Slovene while the respondents generally speak Spanish (97 %) among themselves. However, it is important to appreciate the incalculable value of its symbolic role as the Slovene language presents the bond of the SPE descendants with the Slovene culture. It could be stated that for them, the Slovene language is the Slovene culture.
The Slovene language remains to this day respected and appreciated among the SPE descendants. Being aware of its value with regard to the future existence of the community, they still learn the language. Admittedly its communicative function is limited, yet for the young, it presents a point of identification i.e. the essence of being Slovene. A number of answers confirmed the role of the Slovene language as the main identification element. Although the questions might have been rather complicated for the young between 12 and 14, the majority of the answers were unambiguous and very importantly, written in very good Slovene.
It can be claimed that the Slovene language is a major ethnic identity element for the representatives of the third and forth generations of SPE. Their straightforward plans to keep preserving the Slovene language (74 % intend to continue learning Slovene), together with the majority (94 %) intending to pass the language to their own children, show the awareness of the young towards the (symbolic) role of the language. For the majority of them, the language remains the bond with the mother country of their parents and in symbolic value, it highly precedes the Spanish language which is only the language of their native country.

24 / 2006

Ivan Vogrič

IVAN RESMAN AND EMIGRATION PROBLEMATIC

ABSTRACT
The purpose of the contribution is to deepen the knowledge about Ivan Resman (1848-1905), in public less known poet who had a certain role with the affirmation of Slovene national movement in the last decades of the 19th and in the beginning of the 20th centuries. Resman’s life path was not straight-lined; it was influenced by the fact his family was among the first in Slovenia to emigrate organized in the USA; the family left for America at the end of the American Civil war when the poet was still a juvenile. One of the circumstances that later marked him, was constant transferring to different places of work, which kept him from the homeland for several years, and temporarily anchored him in the margin of the then vast Austro-Hungaria.

Of approximately 80 poems of his sole collection Moja deca (1901), some deal with the emigration problematic; significant is the fact that in his early drama creations, he used the pen name Ameriški.
In Slovene space, Resman was active mainly in places along the South Rail where he served as a railway clerk. He was engaged in the animated societies’ life of the late 19th century by performing functions, for example in Jurčič-Tomšič’s institution within the Slovenska matica. He supported financially societies and pupils, for example Dragotin Kette, and at the same time wrote contributions for several Slovene newspapers and magazines: Slovenski narod, Stritar’s Zvon, Ljubljanski zvon, the Celovec Slovenec, Bleiweis’s Novice, the Trieste Edinost, Domovina, Slovan, etc. He cooperated with renowned cultural workers and politicians of that period, for example Josip Jurčič, Anton Aškerc, Lovro Toman, Janez Bleiweis, Janko Kersnik, Henrik Costa, etc.
Idealism and a romantic relation to the world winnow from Resman’s poetry. His poems are simple and besides with love elements impregnated mainly with patriotic themes, in accordance with his many years’ activity in national defence field. However, his poems are not of high artistic level. Much more than as poet, Resman is known for his merits for spreading Slovene literary language; even more as a writer of texts for songs that are still the repertoire of Slovene choir singing. His texts were set to music by significant Slovene composers of that period, to begin with Emil Adamič, Anton Foerster, Anton Schwab, Fran Gerbič, and others.
Thus, it is not a coincidence Resman is buried at Navje in Ljubljana, at the same place much more renowned Slovene litterateurs rest. At his death, main Slovene newspapers and literary magazines remembered him; among others Simon Gregorčič as well.

24 / 2006

Ivan Vogrič

IVAN RESMAN AND EMIGRATION PROBLEMATIC

ABSTRACT
The purpose of the contribution is to deepen the knowledge about Ivan Resman (1848-1905), in public less known poet who had a certain role with the affirmation of Slovene national movement in the last decades of the 19th and in the beginning of the 20th centuries. Resman’s life path was not straight-lined; it was influenced by the fact his family was among the first in Slovenia to emigrate organized in the USA; the family left for America at the end of the American Civil war when the poet was still a juvenile. One of the circumstances that later marked him, was constant transferring to different places of work, which kept him from the homeland for several years, and temporarily anchored him in the margin of the then vast Austro-Hungaria.

Of approximately 80 poems of his sole collection Moja deca (1901), some deal with the emigration problematic; significant is the fact that in his early drama creations, he used the pen name Ameriški.
In Slovene space, Resman was active mainly in places along the South Rail where he served as a railway clerk. He was engaged in the animated societies’ life of the late 19th century by performing functions, for example in Jurčič-Tomšič’s institution within the Slovenska matica. He supported financially societies and pupils, for example Dragotin Kette, and at the same time wrote contributions for several Slovene newspapers and magazines: Slovenski narod, Stritar’s Zvon, Ljubljanski zvon, the Celovec Slovenec, Bleiweis’s Novice, the Trieste Edinost, Domovina, Slovan, etc. He cooperated with renowned cultural workers and politicians of that period, for example Josip Jurčič, Anton Aškerc, Lovro Toman, Janez Bleiweis, Janko Kersnik, Henrik Costa, etc.
Idealism and a romantic relation to the world winnow from Resman’s poetry. His poems are simple and besides with love elements impregnated mainly with patriotic themes, in accordance with his many years’ activity in national defence field. However, his poems are not of high artistic level. Much more than as poet, Resman is known for his merits for spreading Slovene literary language; even more as a writer of texts for songs that are still the repertoire of Slovene choir singing. His texts were set to music by significant Slovene composers of that period, to begin with Emil Adamič, Anton Foerster, Anton Schwab, Fran Gerbič, and others.
Thus, it is not a coincidence Resman is buried at Navje in Ljubljana, at the same place much more renowned Slovene litterateurs rest. At his death, main Slovene newspapers and literary magazines remembered him; among others Simon Gregorčič as well.