With the Rapallo Treaty, di2cult times began for Primorje. They tried to destroy the Slovenes living in Primorska politically, economically and culturally. Slovenian cooperatives and loan companies were dissolved, the Italianization of Slovenian places and personal names began, Slovenian schools and associations were abolished. The official use of Slovene was forbidden and physical violence also began. Due to the impossible conditions, many Slovenes emigrated mainly to Yugoslavia. The situation forced the Slovenians to organize and start the resistance. The most famous resistance group was TIGR (acronym for Trieste, Istria, Gorica, River), which was founded in 1924. The life of the people of Primorje at that time is illustrated by the examples of the Pegan family from Trieste and the Bolčina family from Otlice nad Ajdovščino. Polona Lah keeps the rich material of its ancestors - the Pegan family, who lived in the National House in Trieste from 1904 to July 13, 1920. When the fascists set it on fire, they barely escaped from the burning building. Ernest and Metka Pegan had four children: Nada, Zora, Danila and Stana. Zora Pegan married Viktorje Šonec, director of the Music
Center at the National House in Trieste. A few months after the burning of the National House, the Pegan family moved to Vikrče near Ljubljana, while Viktor Šonc stayed in Trieste, from where he wrote letters and postcards to his future wife Zora. He also described the conditions in Trieste and the surrounding area at the time, which is clearly evident from their correspondence. Andrej Bolčina keeps his family's material, and he himself experienced life under Italy, namely in the period before the Second World War. In 1918, the Italians occupied his native village of Otlica and Otlica became
Ottelza, the church was called chiesa, and the school was called scuola Bolčina describes what it was like at school, meetings with Italian soldiers and life in Otlica at that time. This article was created primarily on the basis of the rich family material of Polona Lah and Andrej Bolčina and, of course, on the basis of their testimonies. The life of the people of Primorje beyond the Rapallo border is also illustrated by images created during this period by various artists, mainly painters and photographers. Italian propaganda on postcards of the time is also shown.
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