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4: CASE STUDY 1: THE ITALIAN/SLOVENIAN BORDER
If you follow these former patrol paths south from Nova Gorica, past
Šempeter you reach a watchtower approximately 10 m high, constructed of
red bricks and cement (Figure 29). It stands 115 m back from the border
surrounded by fields. The landscape around here is very flat. The director of
the Goriški Musej, Andrej Malnič, and two local historians, Ingela Brezigar
and Jacob Marušič, explain that they do not know the date of when the
watchtower was built as this was classified information and they still have
not been able to find any official records about it. It is believed it was built
during the 1950s. The watchtower has now been made into a museum
about the border. A spiral staircase has been added for the safety of visitors
but the original steps, sticking out from the wall, still remain. Pictures of
American soldiers marking out the border line, border guards patrolling the
border or of signs and barbed wire now cover the inside of the walls in the
tower as part of the museum display. The viewing platform has been left
largely as found. Also in this place graffiti has been left by Yugoslavian
soldiers, counting down the days left of their one year service. Watchtowers
can be found along the border although they are not a common feature.
Within the study area there is only this one structure purposely built as a
watchtower remaining. Lookout points housed in already existing buildings
and structures were common, many of which may still be standing but as no
official documents are available and the buildings take on new functions the
knowledge of them is disappearing. Natural heights, such as the surrounding
hills were also used as lookout points (Figure 30).
Figure 29a (left) and 29b (right): Watchtower
south of Nova Gorica with graffiti left by soldiers
still visible.
Photos: Anna McWilliams 2008.
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