Introduction – A Tale of Twin Cities
by Alexandra Schwell
“GO! Borderless” is the motto, story, and vision of the 2025 European Capital of Culture, the “twin cities” of Slovenian Nova Gorica and Italian Gorizia. But what can the concept of twins teach us about two border towns, their relationship, and their expectations and hopes?
Space On Stage. Aspects of a Public Square on the Border
by Barbara Pachler
Public space as a shared social sphere proves to be a peculiar kind of territory in many ways. A small-town square that is not only public but also crossed by the border between Italy and Slovenia, i.e., the “Western World” and the former Yugoslavia, is, therefore, all the more worthwhile taking a closer look at. Such an ethnographic glance at the scenery of Trg Evrope/Piazzale della Transalpina in Nova Gorica/Gorizia, the European Capitals of Culture 2025, is attempted in this article. For this purpose, not only border studies and cultural memory research, as well as aspects of urban development, but also local voices from both sides of the border are meant to have their say in the “play.”
Borders through language – The role of multilingualism in the border area between Nova Gorica and Gorizia
by Anna Kainz
What roles and functions does language generally fulfil in this border area between two towns? What does the handling of multilingualism show us about the current reciprocal perception of people in the border area between Nova Gorica and Gorizia? To those questions we tried to find answers in our ethnographic research.
Cross–Border Cooperation – Between Chance and Challenge
by Barbara Klemenz-Kelih
How is it possible for two towns to overcome the border between them and develop joint strategies for a common border region? What role can a major cross-border project such as the Capital of Culture GO!2025 play?
