Projects / Programmes
SLOVENIA AND THE MEDITERRANEAN
January 1, 2004
- December 31, 2008
| Code |
Science |
Field |
Subfield |
| 6.01.00 |
Humanities |
Historiography |
|
| 6.02.00 |
Humanities |
Archaeology |
|
| 6.10.00 |
Humanities |
Philosophy |
|
| 6.09.00 |
Humanities |
Art history |
|
| Code |
Science |
Field |
| H003 |
Humanities |
History and Arts |
Mediterranean, Slovenia, Primorska, history, archaeology, philosophy, history of art, anthropology, contact areas, border status, cultural heritage, ideologies, relgions, migrations, population, economy, politics, diplomacy, intelligence services, nation, nationality, interculturality, identities.
Researchers (19)
Organisations (1)
Abstract
The western part of Slovenia has been a very lively junction and an important transitional area between the Mediterranean and the central, eastern and western European territories, between the most diverse social, economic, cultural, ideological and political currents and structures from antiquity until this very day. This is why studies covering a wide range of scientific disciplines are being carried out in this area with its historically defined constants, such as boundaries, political and economic typological complexities, multi- and inter-cultural specificities, identity issues, migrations, interaction and co-functioning by multifold socio-economic and wider civilisational patterns, and involvement in international political events.
As far as some earlier periods of history are concerned, we shall archaeologically present, through interpretation of the available sources, the cultural and economic ties of this area with separate Mediterranean production centres. Much attention shall also be dedicated to the study of economic trends and social demographic development from the Middle Ages onwards, since the economic and social aspects of this area have been greatly neglected in comparison with its political aspects.
A special sphere that covers the entire history of the Primorska region chronologically is its population. The assessment and definition of the economic and demographic system will serve as good foundations for the scientific placement of the subject area into the framework of European courses of events up to the present day.
A contribution to this civilisational-cultural profile of western Slovenia will be the planned recording and study of different aspects of the habitation culture and research into the origin and role of the elites in this area between the 16th and 20th centuries. In view of the historically multiform character of the research area, the project will also deal with the history of mentalite in social, ideological, ethnic-national and the widest cultural perspective and influences, which in the course of time co-shaped the mentalite of this society or its component parts. In the foreground of anthropological-philosophical research will be the history of mentalite, the way of life and perception of the world, the questions of cultural identity and its historical forms of expression, which no doubt went through their fundamental changes during the Age of Enlightenment.
The language of philosophy is a treasury of the most basic layers and logical frameworks created by every culture in its interior and in contact with its neighbouring regions. The scientific background will be a philosophical analysis of some essential intellectual-historical aspects of the development of European humanity and their impact on the present state of affairs.
The picture of the interdisciplinary scientific research into the Primorska coastland will be completed by the research into its history of art, closely associated with the mentalite and material expression of ideas and outlooks on life.
The basic objective of the research into the political history of this region will be to evaluate the historical background of Slovene foreign policy in central Europe and the Mediterranean. Most characteristic of the Primorska Coastland in modern history is its confrontation with all major European ideologies. Here we shall deal with Italian fascism, political Catholicism and liberalism at the time between the two World Wars, German Nazism during World War II, and the political application of Marxism in the ensuing period. After the annexation of Trieste by Italy, some special transformations took place. This is why the research will be focused on the attitudes of the new authorities towards the Istrian population, on relations between the "old-stock" and the newcomers from Slovenia and other Yugoslav republics, on the impact of the new political and demographic constellations on mutual relations, on the people's experie...
Significance for science
The research programme investigated the areas of Istria and Primorska as one of the most interesting cultural and economic meeting points since its early history. The general public has been acquainted with not only scientific, but also social, applied and developmental aspects of the research related to this and other similar areas of contact. The diversity of research contents and issues enabled us to form conceptual and methodological approaches to analyses and interpretations that surpass the level of local and national history, with such an achievement being anything but typical of Slovene historiography by contrast to international scientific and research currents. The advantage of our research lies in the interdisciplinary intertwinement of humanities and social sciences, which facilitates the development of new methodological models and improves the knowledge of epistemic approaches and socially critical concepts. In the field of historiography, such research orientation is reflected in particular in the comparative approach adopted in the study of the 20th century totalitarian systems in the Yugoslav area and in the microstudy of identities in Istria conducted on the basis of oral histories, as well as in the use of methodological approaches of economic, social and demographical history in a study related to the area of Trieste and its hinterland, Istria and Kras. Philosophical and anthropological interpretation focused on subjects from the following fields: intercultural philosophy, ethics, contemporary social and political philosophy, postcolonial studies, contemporary anthropology of the development (i.e. the relation between the developed North and the underdeveloped South), anthropology and history of religions and their relation to the above-mentioned themes. Research on art history investigated the mentality and material expression of ideas and views on life in the Mediterranean area, placing special emphasis on the role of antique heritage and mythological motifs on monuments located on coastal and nearby urban centres in the northern and central Adriatic, as well as on the analysis of iconography of the dance of death in Berm and Hrastovlje. Archaeological research involved internationally comparable topographic analyses and underwater research in Slovene river-beds. Archaeological excavations on the construction site of the future motorway in the Prekmurje region provided invaluable insights into early Slavic settlements. Needless to say, it is of vital importance to conduct further interdisciplinary research in the area, with the aim of the programme team being to achieve internationally comparable results at all levels. In view of that, the researchers have been increasingly collaborating with Italian, Croatian, German, Austrian, French, American and other scholars. Such scientific exchange and mutual enhancement of research schools improves the international recognisability of Slovene scientific work and facilitates the development of individual disciplines and thematic studies in Slovenia. Scientific analysis of the above-mentioned themes is a pleasant challenge for each scientist – regardless of his/her origin – the proof of which is reflected in the increasing number of contacts with similar institutions in Europe and elsewhere.
Significance for the country
The research programme of the programme team was focused on the principal questions of the Slovene history dealing with the past events on the Slovenian western border. The scientific analysis and the use of comparative approach in the programme are of great importance for the understanding of the Slovene national and cultural identity and its connection with the European identity. In the research programme we wanted to extend our researches beyond the current Slovene borders and especially expose ethnical and national contacts on the Slovene western border. The study of the intertwining of the Slovene and the Italian political elements in the 19th and the 20th Century revealed new historical facts about events concerning Slovenes and Italians in that time. For these reasons we encored the participation of our Slovene colleagues from Italy in the research programme and in this way scientifically contributed to the opening of the Slovene cultural and scientific space. The research programme put a lot of focus on the studies of the “historical regionality” of the Primorska region which can be seen as an important contribution to the conceptualization of the region and regional development in the Slovenia. The research programme analyzed systems of economical, political, demographical and cultural relationships, intertwinings and confluences in the region that are always reaching beyond various borders. The innovative researches on the field of economic, social and demographic history aimed to deepen our knowledge of economic, social and demographic currents in the region from the Middle Ages onwards. These historical studies were supplemented with modern philosophical and anthropological interpretations of the contemporary social problems in the broader Mediterranean region. The studies from the field of art history, which focused on the Mediterranean heritage present in the region, also form a significant contribution to the scientific knowledge of various forms of the cultural creativity. With the opening and expansion of European borders our studies of Primorska region as an area of transition and connection between Mediterranean and Middle Europe and between Eastern and Western Europe are of national importance for the understanding of the present and future geopolitical situation of Slovenia. The researches were based on tight cooperative work among the experts from the various fields and on combination of classical and modern technological knowledge, GIS, natural science analysis, use of digital technologies in the field of humanities, especially with the studies of prehistorical findings, underwater archaeology, etc. With the studies of the Upper Adriatic cultural area, with the knowledge of languages and with the implementation of recent scientific paradigms and technologies the programme team wanted to present itself as a forerunner in the scientific field in Slovenia and assure a place in the international projects. The research results of the programme team were directly implemented in the educational process at the Faculty of Humanities Koper, University of Primorska (and also at the other universities) in the form of new contents and new study material. All the members of the programme team also participated in the educational process as lecturers.
Most important scientific results
Final report,
complete report on dLib.si
Most important socioeconomically and culturally relevant results
Final report,
complete report on dLib.si
