The image of the Kočevje and White Carniolian peddlers in the eyes of the public up to the beginning of the 20th century

Abstract

The author analyses the image of the Kočevje and White Carniola pedlars in the eyes of the public with stress on the 19th and the beginning of the 20th centuries. Peddling is the oldest and longest lasting migration destination from the territory of today’s Slovenia (Germany). The contribution is an analysis of the relation of the public towards peddlers coming from the Kočevje Germans, White Carniolians and partly Jews (Ljubljana). In the context of negative standpoint regarding the emigration of Slovenes abroad, the relation towards peddling is identical (decline of religiousness, morals and national awareness). Resentment at peddlers was present because of the competition to steady tradesmen, in the case of Jewish peddlers in particular. Special attention is on details and differences in the relation to the Kočevje and White Carniola peddlers, which is included in the context of Slovene-German nationality tensions from the second half of the 19th century to World War I. The contribution presents by enumerating concrete cases stereotypic, xenophobic and other reactions to peddling in the then Slovene public.