Zgodovina in literarna klasika tržaških »predmejcev«

This article discusses the role of Trieste in twentieth-century Slovene history, dedicating special attention to literature. The Fascist regime suppressed Slovene institutions, which had rapidly developed before 1914. It was only the outcome of the Second World War that allowed them to be revived under the Anglo-American military administration. However, their power was fragmented and weakened by political confrontations related to developments in the South Slavic environment. In Zone A of the Free Territory of Trieste, a compe­tition of differing ideological and aesthetic orientations was possible—something that was repressed in Yugoslavia. This was highlighted by the literary clash between Anton Novačan and Vladimir Bartol, and later by the public interventions of Boris Pahor and Alojz Rebula in defense of Edvard Kocbek’s creative work and views. Through their diversity in the body of Slovene literature, the two classic authors from Trieste helped consolidate its pluralistic environment.