“Poisoning by sausage"

A few bites of a hunk of Krainer sausage and national pride, rolled up in Slovenian newspapers between the spring of the nations and World War I

Abstract

The article is based on the thesis that the Krainer sausage (kranjska klobasa) had an important role in the formation and development of Slovenian national awareness in the period between the spring of nations and the end of World War I (and later). It primarily focuses on the role of the Krainer sausage in strengthening national pride, more specifically, on the ways in which Slovenian newspapers – undoubtedly an important factor in the reproduction of Slovenian national identity – substantiated national pride by writing about the Krainer sausage. The article presents the following three sets of newspaper articles that in different ways touch upon the relationship between national pride and the Krainer sausage: texts that praise the glory, fame and distinction of Krainer sausages; newspaper articles about various boycotts of Krainer sausages; and a few sporadic texts that present the position of the Krainer sausage in various international disputes.