Charitable activities of Slovenian women in Gorizia during the first year of the First World War

Abstract

The paper describes charitable activities undertaken by Slovenian women under the Red Cross in Gorizia and seeks to place them within a broader framework of women’s activities during the First World War while simultaneously throwing light on some peculiarities characteristic of the south-western part of Austria-Hungary. Immediately after the war broke out, a great number of charity associations emerged, mostly receiving female members. Based on the analysis of newspaper articles and archival materials, as well as general literature, the article attempts to answer such questions as how women in Gorizia joined and took part in the field of charity. Moreover, emphasis is placed on the influence that the multinational composition of the County of Gorizia and Gradisca had on these activities and on the aspects in which the attitude towards charity changed during the first year of the war.