National Pride and Economic Prejudice: Some Effects of Economic Nationalism in the Slovene Rural Areas in Austria-Hungary

The article explores the relationships between the national communities of Austria- Hungary in the rural regions of the Slovenian lands, particularly between Slovenians and Germans. Interactions among different nationalities were often hostile, even when no clear divisions existed, as individuals’ identities were subject to many influences and changes. Communities employed economic nationalism to protect their own interests, often at the expense of others. At an individual level, the primary means of doing this was the boycott, which involved visiting only shops and establishments that sold goods of specific national origin. In daily life, such divisions were not strictly enforced, but they became much more apparent during periods of national tension, such as after the September riots in 1908. The exact scope of the boycott remains unknown, but it is evident that it extended into the Slovenian countryside and lasted for at least several weeks, reinforcing national identities along the way.