Page 107 - Dark Shades of Istria
P. 107
ories and Dark Tourism in Istria 6
Two world wars, as well as the period of fascism and the conflict in the
1990s, left traces in South-Eastern Europe (the former Yugoslavia). To-
day, these traces are the subject of commemorations, public debate and
visits. Herman Kaurić (2015b, p. 20) claims that one hundred years after
the end of wwi, some of the fallen soldiers’ descendants are still looking
for information on their (great) grandfathers, e.g. in the area of the battle-
field of Soča/Isonzo and in the East (Eastern Front).¹ This is only partly in
line with the claim of Lennon and Foley (2000), who state that the dark-
ness of the dark site fades away with time. Kosovo Polje, with the Battle of
Kosovo in 1389, as an (additional) interesting case from the wider region
does not confirm this claim either, and has remained deeply in the collec-
tive memory of the Serbs for centuries (Causevic & Lynch, 2011, p. 782).
Szul (2009) similarly explains that military operations changed borders
as well as people’s lives, and significantly defines the contemporary Baltic
region. When analysing wwi i and its implications in Europe, it should
be noted that the final outcome of the war was determined by the win-
ning powers, their military strengths and political interests, with political
factors determining other elements, e.g. the economy, language, and mi-
grations. This was evident during the Cold War as well as after the demo-
cratic changes which started in the late 1980s (Szul, 2009). Consequently,
researching the different impacts of the conflicts of the 20th century on
the Istrian multicultural society is also relevant.
6.1 Armed Forces and the Beginning of Tourism
Development in Istria
Travelling in the Upper Adriatic was already known before so-called
modern tourism, and many voyages were related to military trips (Ka-
vrečič, 2014; 2015). In addition, the armed forces were also strongly con-
nected with the development of the main Istrian tourist centres, such as
Opatija, Portorož and also Sv. Stjepan (Sv. Štefan) (Blažević, 1984, pp. 50–
52; 1987, p. 33; Kavrečič, 2014, p. 79, 2015, p. 86). Since 1888, a sanatorium
for military personnel (Kurhaus für Offiziere; Officierskurhaus), man-
aged by the White Cross Society (Weissen Kreuz), was located in Opatija
¹ A number of Slovenians and Croatians fought there in Austro-Hungarian uniforms.
107
Two world wars, as well as the period of fascism and the conflict in the
1990s, left traces in South-Eastern Europe (the former Yugoslavia). To-
day, these traces are the subject of commemorations, public debate and
visits. Herman Kaurić (2015b, p. 20) claims that one hundred years after
the end of wwi, some of the fallen soldiers’ descendants are still looking
for information on their (great) grandfathers, e.g. in the area of the battle-
field of Soča/Isonzo and in the East (Eastern Front).¹ This is only partly in
line with the claim of Lennon and Foley (2000), who state that the dark-
ness of the dark site fades away with time. Kosovo Polje, with the Battle of
Kosovo in 1389, as an (additional) interesting case from the wider region
does not confirm this claim either, and has remained deeply in the collec-
tive memory of the Serbs for centuries (Causevic & Lynch, 2011, p. 782).
Szul (2009) similarly explains that military operations changed borders
as well as people’s lives, and significantly defines the contemporary Baltic
region. When analysing wwi i and its implications in Europe, it should
be noted that the final outcome of the war was determined by the win-
ning powers, their military strengths and political interests, with political
factors determining other elements, e.g. the economy, language, and mi-
grations. This was evident during the Cold War as well as after the demo-
cratic changes which started in the late 1980s (Szul, 2009). Consequently,
researching the different impacts of the conflicts of the 20th century on
the Istrian multicultural society is also relevant.
6.1 Armed Forces and the Beginning of Tourism
Development in Istria
Travelling in the Upper Adriatic was already known before so-called
modern tourism, and many voyages were related to military trips (Ka-
vrečič, 2014; 2015). In addition, the armed forces were also strongly con-
nected with the development of the main Istrian tourist centres, such as
Opatija, Portorož and also Sv. Stjepan (Sv. Štefan) (Blažević, 1984, pp. 50–
52; 1987, p. 33; Kavrečič, 2014, p. 79, 2015, p. 86). Since 1888, a sanatorium
for military personnel (Kurhaus für Offiziere; Officierskurhaus), man-
aged by the White Cross Society (Weissen Kreuz), was located in Opatija
¹ A number of Slovenians and Croatians fought there in Austro-Hungarian uniforms.
107
