The weight of the past. The legacy of a multicultural region: The case of Kočevska
Lead organization: ZRC SAZU Glasbenonarodopisni inštitut
Among Slovenia’s regions, Kočevje stands out for its unique, often tragic, history. In the 14th century, the Ortenburgs began settling their serfs in Kočevje from their estates in Eastern Tyrol and Carinthia for economic reasons. As a result, an interesting mixed linguistic area developed in Kočevje, which existed for 600 years. Two cultures—Slovenian and German—coexisted there until the emigration of the Kočevje Germans (Kočevars) to the German Reich in 1941–42, based on an agreement between Nazi Germany and Fascist Italy. After World War II, new settlers from other Slovenian regions and Yugoslav republics moved into the abandoned Kočevar villages and homes. Kočevska remains a cultural crossroads to this day. In addition to the handful of Kočevars who did not emigrate during the war, the Roma community and certain modern immigrant communities (Bosniaks, Croats, Serbs) have traditionally been present in this area. Cultural elements from this area have spread around the world, as they are preserved not only in Slovenia but also in the U.S., Canada, Austria, and Germany, where the Kočevar people emigrated. After the war, most of the material heritage of the former inhabitants was destroyed due to anti-German and anti-religious sentiment. Parts of Kočevje fell under the so-called closed military zone of Kočevska Reka, where movement was restricted, religious buildings were demolished, the remaining residents were deported, and strict silence was enforced. In addition, three labor camps operated there until the mid-1950s, and the Kočevje forests became the scene of a mass purge of political opponents. The massacres became yet another secret of the Kočevje region. The first memorial Mass was not solemnly celebrated at the mass graves until July 8, 1990. Kočevje’s troubled past was pushed aside and forgotten. Yet the tragic historical, wartime, and postwar events, and their consequences, continue to influence how both groups—former and current residents—understand their (shared) cultural heritage.
Using the Kočevje region—a former multilingual area in southeastern Slovenia—as a case study, this research examines changes in attitudes toward and uses of cultural heritage. It focuses on three turning points: the end of World War I and the establishment of the Yugoslav state, which brought about a shift in the majority-minority relationship in the Kočevje region; the post-conflict period following the end of World War II, when the ethnic structure of the population shifted due to the transfer of the “German” population and the influx of economic migrants from other parts of Slovenia and the Yugoslav republics; and the period of rapprochement with the European Union following Slovenia’s independence.