The international scientific workshop Cross-Border Practices and Regional Connectivity in the Alps-Adriatic Area: Historical Perspectives, jointly organised by the Science and Research Centre Koper (ZRS Koper) and the Centre for Cultural and Historical Research of Socialism at the Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, was successfully held from 23 to 25 September 2026 in Pula and the Brijuni Islands.
The workshop brought together researchers from several European countries to discuss different forms of cross-border interaction, connectivity, and regional cooperation in the area between Austria, Italy, and Yugoslavia during the Cold War. Across twelve presentations, participants explored a wide range of cross-border practices and forms of cooperation, including regional diplomacy, industrial cooperation, infrastructure projects, media, tourism, youth sports exchanges, mountaineering associations, as well as hunting and fishing. Particular attention was devoted to the activities of the Alps-Adriatic Working Community, which provided an important framework for regional cooperation across different political and state borders.
The workshop opened with an inspiring keynote dialogue between Pamela Ballinger and Sabine Dullin, which brought together micro- and macro-level perspectives on the borderland and encouraged participants to reflect on the ways in which borders were experienced, negotiated, and transformed at different levels. The workshop concluded with an insightful discussion held on the Brijuni Islands, which brought together several of the broader themes raised during the workshop. The discussion also highlighted the complexities and ambiguities inherent in the functioning of border regimes, particularly in relation to local populations and the development of cross-border cooperation in this part of Europe.
The workshop was organised as part of the ERC-funded project Cold War Europe Beyond Borders. A Transnational History of Cross-Border Practices in the Alps-Adriatic Area from World War II to the Present (Open Borders), led by Dr Borut Klabjan from the Institute for Historical Studies of the ZRS Koper. The project examines the development of transnational cross-border cooperation between the so-called “East” and “West” from the end of the Second World War to the present, with the aim of reconsidering the history of Europe during the Cold War and moving beyond the traditional image of a politically divided continent. The project focuses on the Alps-Adriatic region, a historical space that today encompasses parts of Austria, Italy, Slovenia, and Croatia. During the Cold War, the region was divided between socialist and non-aligned Yugoslavia, capitalist and neutral Austria, and Italy, a member of NATO and the European Economic Community. The coexistence of different political, economic, and social systems within this relatively small geographical area offers a unique opportunity to explore how cross-border contacts, cooperation, and regional connections developed despite political divisions and state borders.
This workshop provided an important opportunity for exchange and discussion among researchers working on the history of borders, borderlands, and cross-border cooperation, while further strengthening academic collaboration within the Open Borders project.