One of the main projects of the Nova Gorica-Gorizia European Capital of Culture will be a permanent exhibition on the complexities of 20th-century history. Displayed in a former warehouse next to the Nova Gorica railway station, it will shed light on the area's multiculturalism and troubled past.

Called the European Platform for Interpretation of the 20th Century (EPIC), the project is due to open in May to mark 80 years since the end of the Second World War.

The project's head, historian Kaja Širok says it aims to contribute to efforts for a better co-existence in the cross-border area, which is possible only if people accept different interpretations of the tragedies and brutalities of the previous century.

There is the Italian side of the story and the Slovenian, but there is also the multiculturalism of the region, involving Italian, Slovenian, German and Friuli communities. In the 19th century, the area was also home to a Jewish community, Širok notes.

History through personal stories

The project aims to present the complexities of the 20th century, not just in the region but also across Europe, and the trajectory of the disappearances of such centres of multicultural heritage after the First World War and Second World War, an era when national narratives prevailed.

EPIC will give space to personal interpretations such as memories, family traumas, and excerpts from literary works, displaying the locals' stories told during interviews that took shape in the last 20 years, including those about multicultural families speaking Slovenian, Italian, Friulan and German.

The exhibition will also feature a collection of photographs, objects and videos from personal archives or various museums.

Once it has opened, the locals will still be able to contribute their stories and photographs, so the project will keep growing and expanding in a bid to provide a platform for dialogue, bring the communities together, and end the resentment stemming from the 20th-century events.

Turbulent times in the region

The region has seen its share of turbulent past. Before the First World War it was part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, but when the war came, Italians fought on the side of the Allied Powers in exchange for which they were promised substantial territorial gains.

The Soča Valley was the site of the Isonzo Front, one of the bloodiest theatres of war in the First World War. Most Slovenian soldiers fought for the empire, and after the Allied Powers won the war Italy annexed what it was promised, including land that is now modern-day Slovenia.

What followed were heavy-handed attempts at Italianization, which turned into occupation by Fascist and Nazi forces during WWII, but eventually, in another instance of borders being redrawn, some of the annexed land was absorbed into Yugoslavia at the end of the war, including part of the area around Nova Gorica, a city built from scratch after the Second World War when Gorizia remained under Italy.

Even after the war ended, the region remained a rift area separating the East and West, but at the same time it also remained multicultural.

Coming to terms with the past

In an interview with the Slovenian Press Agency, Širok commented on the fact that Italy has not published its report on the Slovenia-Italy relations in the 1880-1956 period, which was compiled by Slovenian and Italian historians, even though it was completed as far back as in 2000.

She believes one should differentiate between the way Italian historians see these issues, and actions taken by Italian politicians. The latter are currently very much inclined to "idolise certain events and completely erase others".

"We, historians, did our job ethically in the past and will do it ethically in the future, but it is too early to predict how this will be received by politicians. This is an issue that both countries will have to face sooner or later."

The EPIC team would like to see the suffering of others at least acknowledged to help fight attempts to create political division and manipulate historical facts.

"EPIC would like to be a mirror looking into the past, which we never let go, but at the same time we want a better future for the generations deciding to remain and live in the Goriška area."

Warehouse storing memories

The reconstruction of the former railway depot hosting the EPIC project is due to be completed in time for the May opening.

The building will still look like a warehouse to preserve its original, early 20th-century appearance, and in a way it will remain a warehouse too since it will now store memories.

It is located right next to Nova Gorica's landmark Austro-Hungarian railway station in an area heavily bombarded in both World Wars. The bombs recently found there during construction works will be part of the exhibition concept.

EPIC is not a museum, it is an exhibition that would like to remain that after the European Capital of Culture ends. Širok is hopeful that it could become a centre linking Nova Gorica and Gorizia museums and other institutions in the region.