Page 105 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 11(2) (2023)

ment signed on 20 August 1955 (in Udine) was (Luthar 2004). These interactions were an inte-
valid for a ten kilometer strip along the entire gral part of the border crossings.
border (Nećak 2000; Hrabar 2016). Article 7 of I went to Trieste with my mum, by vaporetto
the Memorandum declared (Memorandum of [boat] or by bus. We had to get off the bus at
Understanding 1956; Čepič 2018):
the Škofije border crossing and pass through
The Italian and Yugoslav Governments the customs inspection on foot... the bus was
agree to enter into negotiations within a pe- waiting for us on the other side of the bor-
riod of two months from the date of initial- der… When we went to Italy the Yugoslav
ling of this Memorandum of Understand- customs officers usually checked our docu-
ing with a view to concluding promptly an ments… My father was a butcher, not many
agreement regulating local border traffic, butchers or meat then… so I went with my
including facilities for the movement of the mum to Trieste to sell meat, or eggs, ciga- 105
residents of border areas by land and by sea rettes. [Interlocutor 1]
ti over the boundary for normal commercial I don’t know, she mostly went alone, I
and other activities, and for transport and
crossed the crossing point, helped her to car-
ry… We walked, we went by bicycle, later by
communications. This agreement shall cov-
ta er Trieste and the area bordering it. Pend- bus. We were afraid, you had to hide. But I
went with her because I also carried some-
ing the conclusion of such an agreement, the
thing, helped. [Interlocutor 8]
competent authorities will take, each with-
in their respective competence, appropri-
Women often took children with them be-
ate measures in order to facilitate local bor-
di es was very important for the local inhabitants cause they were not subject to severe controls.
der traffic.
My interlocutor said that sometimes her mum
gave her some meat or other goods to hide, but
The introduction of prepustnice or pass-
rarely. The hardest thing was the border cross-
ing, as one said: ‘I was always scared when cross-
here At first, people were allowed to cross the border ing the border…’ (Interlocutor 1). Another inter- everyday life in the borderland area between yugoslavia and italy after wwii ...
as it made it easier for them to cross the border.
locutor said:
four times a month. This meant farmers from
Yugoslavia could legally sell their produce in the
It was terrible crossing the border… very
ten kilometer strip along the border. It was pre-
stressful…we were very scared of the cus-
dominately women who sold the produce, but
toms officers… if they found that you had too
they also took some ‘illegal’ goods to the oth-
many goods, they took them from you…I re-
er side (Verginella 2021), or took more than was
studiauniversitatis
permitted.
two sisters Marina and Milica or something
Before cars became widespread, people member two women who were very strict,
like that… they didn’t speak Slovene, Serbian
used public transportation – mostly boats, bus- I think… but they lived in Koper... they were
es and trains. Crossing the border was a crucial the worst, worse than men… if you had too
part of the trip and was characterised by specif- many goods, they just took them from you.
ic dynamics. As stated by the social scientist Bre- [Interlocutor 3]
da Luthar: ‘The domination that is established Yes, it was all types… most came from Ser-
through communication is an integral part of bia…very few Slovenes were customs of-
the trip to Trieste … a series of communicative ficers… and they always looked at you as if
interactions where the positions of superiori- you were smuggling… they didn’t look at
ty and subordination, power and weakness, of you normally… well, actually you needed to
ethnic and class differences were established’ bring something back… there were things