Page 123 - Studia Universitatis Hereditati, vol 11(2) (2023)

fore embodied the fundamental declared ideal of tensions to the administrative building and the
the FTT Zone B, as advocated by the Slavic-Ital- integration of the school into the growing new
ian anti-fascist union – the Unione antifascista modern neighbourhood in the immediate vi-
italo-slava (SIAU/UAIS) (La nostra lotta 1951, cinity, as well as a planned park at the front, but
2). The newspaper Istrski tednik reported on the these plans were never realised.
opening as follows: In 1954 and then in 1957, development
‘On the foundations of the infamous old plans were drawn up for Koper by the architect
prison, which many of us know from the time of Nikolaj Bežek (Čebron Lipovec 2019b, 249–
fascist violence and terror, the first wing of the 253; 2020, 262–265). They outlined the devel-
new school has been built, a magnificent build- opment of new urbanisation on the southern
ing that will now welcome our young generation. bank of the former salt pans in Semedela, and
From now on, they will be educated to become in the long term also in Bonifika - the reclaimed
new socialist people in the spirit of brotherhood marshy area of the former salt pans. These devel- 123
and unity between Slovenes and Italians’ (Istrski opment guidelines also led to decisions concern-
ti tednik 1951, 3). ing the location of new school buildings. As the
new school at Belveder was short of space, a de-
The school initially housed a Slovene 5-year
primary school and an Italian 5-year primary
cision was made in 1957 to found a new school
18
ta school. However, in the school year 1956/57 the and build a completely new building . How-
Italian primary school moved out of the build-
ever, the school was not built until later. In the
15
school year 1959/60, the school at Belveder had
ing to another site in the historic centre . From
then onwards, the school was intended only for
24 units, one of which was temporarily housed
di Slovene-speaking pupils. in the building of the Italian primary school in
Due to intensive economic development –
19
order to avoid the third shift of classes . Finally,
thanks to the TOMOS factory and the port –
in 1962, the new school in Koper acquired prem-
the first years after the annexation (1954) were a
time of intensive workforce inflow, and conse- ises in a new building at Bonifika. the primary school in postwar koper/capodistria as a social laboratory
here the forthcoming school reform, the school was The prison, which was demolished in 1948, pri-
The Primary School’s Symbolism and Heritage
quently of children and schoolchildren. As a re-
Significance
sult of the large population influx, and in view of
enlarged in the year 1957/1958 and given a sec-
marily symbolised the place where Slovene free-
16
ond floor with an additional eight classrooms,
dom fighters were oppressed (Beltram 2008, 8).
Already in 1930, members of the Slovene secret
but these were used by the teacher training col-
organisation Borba were imprisoned and tor-
17
lege . The plans for the extension were drawn up
by Miloš Hohnjec, an unknown but very prolific
studiauniversitatis
ly against fascism and the attempts to annihilate
architect of the architectural bureau Projektivni
Slovene and Croat identity in the region. Con-
biro in Koper in the first years following the an- tured there; they were the first to protest violent-
nexation (Čebron Lipovec 2018, 227). In addi- structing the school on the site of the prison,
tion to the second floor extension, the architect therefore, carried a multilayered symbolic mean-
proposed a new, lower, simple pavilion with of- ing. In the first place, there was the counterpoint
fices for teachers and workshops, but despite the between the prison’s negative and repressive
growing space constraints, the plan remained function of negating an individual’s freedom,
on paper. School records report of planned ex- and the positive and philanthropic function of
15 PAK, 936_2, Osnovna šola Janka Premrla Vojka, Šolska the school – an educational institution that pro-
kronika 1955/1956. 18 PAK, 936_2, Osnovna šola Janka Premrla Vojka, Šolska
16 PAK, 24.2, OLO Projekti, 336, 4. kronika 1957/58.
17 PAK, 936_2, Osnovna šola Janka Premrla Vojka, Šolska 19 PAK, 936_2, Osnovna šola Janka Premrla Vojka, Šolska
kronika 1957/58. kronika 1959/60.