The article presents the findings of two different research projects, one concerning the interpretation of intangible heritage in Istria, and the other the Istrian memories about post-war mass migrations consequent to the change of national borders and the introduction of the socialist system (Since the postdoctoral project on post-war memories has just finished all other publications on this topic are still in print). The author analyses romantic ways of heritage interpretation but also its adaptation to the needs of the present. However, contemporary research shows that there are no “proper” or “artificial” traditions, since the concepts of the natural and the authentic are unknown to the cultural forms which remain constructions. Further on the research aims to understand how tradition is used in the formation of groups. In the frame of the agency theory, it is shown that by supressing catholic calendar customs, element of identification of the Italians who remained after WW II in Yugoslavia, the new national and political power expressed its authoritative power. Thus heritage functions not just as means of uniting a group, but it can imply destructive powers, becoming the means of denying the identity of the “Other”. Analysing heritage interpretation thus involves a special attention to its agency and the different relations of power connected to it. Therefore heritage is a powerful medium of suppression of the weak and a powerful tool in the hands of the political regimes. On the other hand, heritage can have healing powers for historical wounds if its interpretation includes the memories of the “Other” in the same way as “our” memories.
COBISS.SI-ID: 1537051076
The article presents the results of the international research project Heritage live. Living, lived, revived cultural heritage (Programme IPA Slovenia–Croatia, 2007-13) but at the same time it presents the base for post-doctoral analysis of inteangible heritage of Istria. The research dealt with the ways of the presentation / interpretation of intangible heritage in Istria, especially in the case of calendar holidays. The article presents the results of ethnological research of the village festivities in Istria from past to modern times, their changes, their role in strengtening the feeling of belonging to the village and town communities etc. Cited in: Panjek, A. 2014. Kdo je tretja stranka v tej mačji godbi? Posredniki med vdovcem in fantovščino v Štivanu pri Devinu leta 1651. Acta Histriae 22/ 2: 379-388. Str. 382.
COBISS.SI-ID: 2186195