“Jews Otherwise are Unreliable and We Prefer Not to Trust Them”

The contrasting views of Jewry in Slovene newspapers from the Gorizia region

Abstract

In the 19th century the Jews living in and around Gorizia began to integrate into local society. Once the door of the ghetto opened, individuals began to blend into the surrounding environment, where they wanted to become loyal citizens, not only second-class townspeople. Their colloquial language and culture had always been Italian, so it was not surprising that they wanted Gorizia to become part of Italy. Their coexistence with the Slovenian population was not a problem as long as the interests of the groups did not conflict. They had contacts with the Slovene population as merchants, as their advocates in legal suits and as medical workers. Occasionally, intolerance and anti-Semitic feelings sprang up as well. These were a sign of envy due to Jewish success in business, and in Slovenians such feelings were particularly strong because of the pro-Italian sentiment among the Jews from Gorizia. The article describes some opposing views and the attitude toward the Jewry in the newspapers Soča and Gorica in the last decades of the 19th century.