Discourses and Practices of the In-Between in the Alps-Adriatic Region: Klagenfurt, Ljubljana and Trieste 1815–1914

A collaborative project is uniting cultural anthropologists and historians from Ljubljana, Klagenfurt/Celovec, and Koper.

"Discourses and Practices of the In-Between in the Alps-Adriatic Region" analyzes how the concept of 'in-between' manifested within Klagenfurt, Ljubljana, and Trieste from 1815 to 1914. The project challenges the dominant narrative of inevitable nation-state formation by examining how each city developed its own distinct patterns of cultural, social, and linguistic practices that defied simple national categorization.

These three cities, while distinct, shared similar historical contexts: Trieste operated as a free trade harbor, Klagenfurt served as a transport hub for the northern territories, and Ljubljana (then part of Carniola) developed its own urban culture. Though all three experienced nationalization pressures in the late 19th century—eventually leading to their separation after World War I into Austria, the Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes, and Italy respectively—their internal dynamics were more complex than traditional nationalist narratives suggest.

The project proposes that nation-state formation was not a linear process within these urban spaces, but rather one characterized by what scholars term 'national indifference'—a state of belonging that transcended purely national affiliations. Within each city, this 'in-between' status manifested in multilingual practices, diverse economic activities, social organizations, and family structures, reflecting the influence of various factors including gender, class, and religion.

The research examines three key dimensions within each city: 1) Contemporary ethnographic discourses and how they portrayed local identities; 2) Practices within associations and institutions, revealing cultural, social, religious, and economic complexities; 3) Personal narratives through diaries, letters, and autobiographies from city residents

By illuminating these parallel but distinct 'in-between' spaces, the project constructs a new historical narrative of the Alps-Adriatic region that moves beyond the traditional focus on nationalization in Central European historiography. This approach contributes to evolving discussions about 'national indifference' as a key concept in historical and social science research.