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mikro in makro: pr istopi in pr ispevki k humanističnim vedam ob dvajsetletnici up fhš
Summary
The image of the river Kolpa as a border river in Slovenian
newspapers: The example of the Slovenski narod 1861–1914
The article analyses the portrayal of the Kolpa as a border river in the lead-
ing Slovene liberal newspaper Slovenski narod from 1868 to 1918. In the 19th
century, the Kolpa divided Carniola (and the Habsburg hereditary lands)
from Civil Croatia (and Hungary). During the pre-March period, life on
the border between Carniola and Croatia was primarily influenced by the
customs border between the Hungarian and other parts of the Habsburg
Monarchy. A second major change in the border on the Kolpa River re-
sulted from the 1867 introduction of state dualism. From that point on-
ward, the Kolpa separated two independent halves of the monarchy, which
shared the same foreign policy, finances, and the military. On the pages
of Slovenski narod, the Kolpa River was not only a proper name denoting
a river, but also and primarily a symbol of a natural border between the
Slovenes and Croatians. Slavic or Yugoslav identity was an integral part of
Slovene national ideology at that time. Croatians (and South Slavs in gen-
eral) were considered allies and a "brother" nation. Living close to a river
demands certain activities. The fact that a river also forms a border addi-
tionally complicates the implementation of these activities, which demands
communication and coordination between the two entities separated by
the river. The state also invested a lot of energy into controlling the border
during outbreaks of various diseases, when they tried to seal the border as
much as possible. The Kolpa flooded regardless of its border status, but both
entities separated by the river had to deal with the floods' consequences. In
one of the articles examined, the river as a natural landscape element with
certain economic potentials (milling and fish farming) was at the core of a
border dispute. The main characteristic of border rivers is clearly seen from
the articles published in Slovenski narod: the inextricable connection be-
tween the border river as a social/political concept and the river as a natural
feature. A border river is a phenomenon defined by two spheres with com-
pletely different characters: social reality and the reality of the natural en-
vironment (i.e. changes in the riverbed, floods, and intermittence). The in-
teraction between the two spheres is neither simple nor constant, but it can
be defined within a historical context.
226
Summary
The image of the river Kolpa as a border river in Slovenian
newspapers: The example of the Slovenski narod 1861–1914
The article analyses the portrayal of the Kolpa as a border river in the lead-
ing Slovene liberal newspaper Slovenski narod from 1868 to 1918. In the 19th
century, the Kolpa divided Carniola (and the Habsburg hereditary lands)
from Civil Croatia (and Hungary). During the pre-March period, life on
the border between Carniola and Croatia was primarily influenced by the
customs border between the Hungarian and other parts of the Habsburg
Monarchy. A second major change in the border on the Kolpa River re-
sulted from the 1867 introduction of state dualism. From that point on-
ward, the Kolpa separated two independent halves of the monarchy, which
shared the same foreign policy, finances, and the military. On the pages
of Slovenski narod, the Kolpa River was not only a proper name denoting
a river, but also and primarily a symbol of a natural border between the
Slovenes and Croatians. Slavic or Yugoslav identity was an integral part of
Slovene national ideology at that time. Croatians (and South Slavs in gen-
eral) were considered allies and a "brother" nation. Living close to a river
demands certain activities. The fact that a river also forms a border addi-
tionally complicates the implementation of these activities, which demands
communication and coordination between the two entities separated by
the river. The state also invested a lot of energy into controlling the border
during outbreaks of various diseases, when they tried to seal the border as
much as possible. The Kolpa flooded regardless of its border status, but both
entities separated by the river had to deal with the floods' consequences. In
one of the articles examined, the river as a natural landscape element with
certain economic potentials (milling and fish farming) was at the core of a
border dispute. The main characteristic of border rivers is clearly seen from
the articles published in Slovenski narod: the inextricable connection be-
tween the border river as a social/political concept and the river as a natural
feature. A border river is a phenomenon defined by two spheres with com-
pletely different characters: social reality and the reality of the natural en-
vironment (i.e. changes in the riverbed, floods, and intermittence). The in-
teraction between the two spheres is neither simple nor constant, but it can
be defined within a historical context.
226
