The role of landscape attributes in the making of national identity in Slovenia

Roškar, Špela (author), Repič, Jaka (mentor), Mader, Elke (co-mentor)

This master thesis seeks to address the symbolic meanings of landscape in the making of national identity in Slovenia. Through an extensive analysis of the history of Slovene nation in relation to the landscape, starting in the middle of the 19th century up to modern time, I discuss the heterogeneity of the Slovene landscape, the historical framework of the Slovene nation-building and identity making, national symbolism, spatial identifications, as well as landscape attributes that have become culturally appropriated. The analysis has shown that there are some recurrent tropes, images and symbols of landscape that keep on appearing in representations and conceptualizations of the Slovene cultural landscape and are as such incorporated in the nation building process. Despite the fact that Slovenes to some extent identify with specific landscape types (mountains, rivers, lakes, caves, hills, sea and forests), there is a stronger identification with certain landscape attributes that have become culturally appropriated over time (Triglav, the Bled Lake, the Soča River, the Postojna Cave, a church on the hill, Piran with seashore, a linden tree).

• Language: English
• Keywords: Slovene nation, national identity, landscape, national symbol, landscape attribute
• Work type: Master's thesis/paper
• Organization: FF - Faculty of Arts
• Year: 2021
• PID: 20.500.12556/RUL-132339
• Publication date in RUL: 22.10.2021

Secondary language

• Language: Slovenian
• Title: Vloga krajinskih atributov pri oblikovanju slovenske nacionalne identitete

Abstract

Namen magistrske naloge je raziskati krajino in določene krajinske atribute, ki v procesu ustvarjanja nacionalne identitete dobijo status nacionalnega simbola. Skozi analizo zgodovine slovenskega naroda in krajine od sredine 19. stoletja do sodobnega časa, razpravljam o heterogenosti slovenske krajine, zgodovinskemu okvirju slovenskega oblikovanja naroda in oblikovanja identitete, narodni simboliki, prostorski identifikaciji ter krajinskih atributih. Analiza je razkrila, da obstajajo določeni ponavljajoči se tropi, podobe in simboli pokrajine, ki se nenehno pojavljajo v upodobitvah in konceptualizacijah slovenske kulturne krajine in so kot taki vključeni v proces oblikovanja naroda. Kljub temu da se Slovenci do neke mere identificirajo z določenimi pokrajinskimi tipi (gore, reke, jezera, jame, hribi, morje in gozdovi), je opaziti močnejšo identifikacijo z določenimi krajinskimi atributi, ki so si jih s časom kulturno prisvojili (Triglav, reka Soča, Postojnska jama, Blejsko jezero, cerkev na hribu, Piran z obalo, lipa).

• Keywords: slovenski narod, nacionalna identiteta, krajina, nacionalni simbol, krajinski atribut