Page 277 - Dark Shades of Istria
P. 277
iews
The book Dark Shades of Istria: Memorial Practices and Their Dark
Tourism Implications contains ten main chapters and 38 subchapters.
The spatial framework of this study is the transborder region of Istria,
formally divided between the states of Slovenia, Croatia and Italy, but
informally connected and united inside their own social, cultural, his-
torical, economic and political developmental peculiarities. The focus of
this research is the Slovenian and Croatian part of Istria, which is a highly
developed tourism region based on its favourable geographical position,
rich natural and cultural attractions, and large network of accommoda-
tion facilities. The main historical framework of this study comprises the
events of recent Istrian history, which are linked to the segment of dark
tourism. The purposes of the research are to provide an understanding
of what memory and dark tourism mean in a specific regional environ-
ment of Slovenian and Croatian Istria and to establish a representation
of topics related to the Istrian history of conflicts of the 20th century,
contemporary public memorial practices and dark tourism in leading re-
gional electronic mass media, based on which the specific media-created
social reality can be identified.
Four research objectives have been proposed in this study. The first
objective is to compile a conceptual framework of memory studies and
dark tourism with the facts of the traumatic 20th century of Istria and
its public memorial practices. The second objective is to define differ-
ent groups (clusters) and characteristics of various Istrian contemporary
history-centric memorial practices and related dark tourism based on the
relevant media reports on dark commemorative events. The third objec-
tive is identification and mapping of contemporary types and locations
where public history-centric dark commemorative events take place and
where, potentially, the transfer of memories occurs. The fourth objec-
tive is to describe, compare, contrast and thus fully understand a range of
different dark commemorative event types with different historical back-
grounds, which reflect the traumatic Istrian past and offer special experi-
ences to the visitors. In this, primarily interdisciplinary, scientific study,
qualitative and quantitative scientific methods and techniques were used
to obtain results and realize research aims and objectives. The main find-
ings of this study are multiplied contemporary connections and socio-
277
The book Dark Shades of Istria: Memorial Practices and Their Dark
Tourism Implications contains ten main chapters and 38 subchapters.
The spatial framework of this study is the transborder region of Istria,
formally divided between the states of Slovenia, Croatia and Italy, but
informally connected and united inside their own social, cultural, his-
torical, economic and political developmental peculiarities. The focus of
this research is the Slovenian and Croatian part of Istria, which is a highly
developed tourism region based on its favourable geographical position,
rich natural and cultural attractions, and large network of accommoda-
tion facilities. The main historical framework of this study comprises the
events of recent Istrian history, which are linked to the segment of dark
tourism. The purposes of the research are to provide an understanding
of what memory and dark tourism mean in a specific regional environ-
ment of Slovenian and Croatian Istria and to establish a representation
of topics related to the Istrian history of conflicts of the 20th century,
contemporary public memorial practices and dark tourism in leading re-
gional electronic mass media, based on which the specific media-created
social reality can be identified.
Four research objectives have been proposed in this study. The first
objective is to compile a conceptual framework of memory studies and
dark tourism with the facts of the traumatic 20th century of Istria and
its public memorial practices. The second objective is to define differ-
ent groups (clusters) and characteristics of various Istrian contemporary
history-centric memorial practices and related dark tourism based on the
relevant media reports on dark commemorative events. The third objec-
tive is identification and mapping of contemporary types and locations
where public history-centric dark commemorative events take place and
where, potentially, the transfer of memories occurs. The fourth objec-
tive is to describe, compare, contrast and thus fully understand a range of
different dark commemorative event types with different historical back-
grounds, which reflect the traumatic Istrian past and offer special experi-
ences to the visitors. In this, primarily interdisciplinary, scientific study,
qualitative and quantitative scientific methods and techniques were used
to obtain results and realize research aims and objectives. The main find-
ings of this study are multiplied contemporary connections and socio-
277
