Correlations Between Social and National Mobility in Carniola

The article provides a brief overview of the position of the nobility in Slovenia. First, it focuses on the connection between the nobility and historiography, which from the mid-19th century was increasingly burdened by the national struggles of the past. The findings show that until the mid-19th century the nobility was strongly integrated into Slovenian society, including through the use of the Slovene language, but was then forced into a national definition, and as a rule (with few exceptions) chose to take the German side. More than a change in ethnic identity, a change in social identity was relevant in the early modern period. The new nobility tried as much as possible to adopt and take on a manner of behaviour that suited to their new status. This especially meant the purchase of landed property and forming kinship ties with other noble families. The article concludes with a brief overview of the fate of the nobility in Slovenia after 1918. Keywords: Nobility, Slovenian territory, national struggles, historiography, ethnicity, social mobility