The town of Nova Gorica was built after the Second World War when theregion was divided between Italy and Yugoslavia. The complex historical developmentof Nova Gorica- with its urbanization strategies, industrial developmentand subsequent waves of immigration to from all over Yugoslavia havecreated a peculiar city with a unique identity. Since the city is relatively young,its first inhabitants established a multicultural community which was void of thefrictions that typically occur between locals and newcomers. After Slovenia’sdeclaration of independence in 1991, however, lots of people in the town, aswell as throughout Slovenia, suddenly became »foreigners« because of theirnon-Slovenian ethnic origin.This phenomenon in Nova Gorica prompts questions of integration, assimilationor ethnic exclusion, especially as immigrants choose different ways ofexpressing their national identity. As this presentation is going to demonstratethis was done in different ways. Identity strategies have been based on traditionwhich was in some cases rebuilt, since at their arrival in Slovenia some immigrantswere too young to notice changes in their new environment, especiallywhen they were only moving within the borders of what was then one country,Yugoslavia.

The main reasons for emigration to Slovenia can be classified as economic,personal and family matters, political and »other reasons«. Economic migrantsformed the majority of those who emigrants; those who saw the possibility forimprovement of their economic position or their entire family's social status.Families who followed the economic immigrants comprised the second majormigration group. The personal reasons for migration were hugely varied,changing from person to person and depending on their situations. The migrationgroup classified under »other reasons« consisted mainly of state employees(of the national army, administration, and customs). They did not choose theirmigration location since they were sent by decree to various parts of Slovenia bythe state administration. These transfers of the Yugoslavian army to the bordersof the Slovenian state presented in the first period after the Second World Warthe only major migration wave in Slovenia. The mission to safeguard the stateborder was executed by young soldiers, mainly from Serbia and Croatia.Migration to Slovenia was increasing slightly but constantly until the 1970s,but after extensive economic growth in Slovenia in the middle of the 1970s thenumber of immigrants virtually doubled. The majority of immigrants arrivedfrom Bosanska Krajina, Bosanska Posavina, eastern Serbia and communitiesin the south of Serbia. We presume that the picture of migration processes inSlovenia from the other parts of the former federal state is incomplete and inadequate.The migration waves were likely larger and wider than was registeredin censuses before 1991, for the migration process was taking place inside auniform state and immigrants were not required to register their arrival in a newenvironment. In any case, the migration processes significantly changed the nationalcomposition of the population.

Presenting the case of the town of Nova Gorica the presentation will showthe complex themes of migration to Slovenia from other Yugoslav countries before1991 and the creation of urban identity before and after 1991. At the sametime it will also explain the development of the border region as a bridge fromEast and West, smuggling and consumption.