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AN ARCHAEOLOGY OF THE IRON CURTAIN
One city becomes two
After the location of the border had been established a commission was
given the task of physically marking the new borderline on the ground. This
was done by painting a line or through staking out poles (Figure 18–19).
Although some consideration was shown to keep villages and cities together
this did not always work in practice and villages and sometimes even single
farms were cut through by the new border. In the study area many local
stories tell of how landowners would go out during the first few nights after
the border was marked and move the border markers in one direction or
other so that their property would fall within one country. Soon, however,
both Yugoslavian and Italian military arrived to patrol the borders making
further changes impossible. Further border structures, fencing and even
mines in places were soon installed to make crossing more difficult
(Velušček and Medved 2002).
Figure 18: Poles marking the new
border line are erected by a group
of workers in front of Nova Gorica
railway station, 1947. Property of
Musei provinciali di Gorizia, Italy.
Figure 19: The new border line
between Italy and Yugoslavia is
being painted by an American
Soldier near in the village of
Šempeter, 1947. Property of Musei
provinciali di Gorizia, Italy.
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