Heritagisation and Community Formation in the Pivško Region

Pivško is a small region in south-western Slovenia that appropriated a nationally recognised literary hero named Martin Krpan as its most visible heritage. The article questions if this act of appropriation correlates with what the inhabitants of the Pivško region consider as examples their personal, family, local or regional heritage. These various heritages are observed through the prisms of (political) power relations and community-building processes, while the main question addressed in the article is, the symptom of what any of those heritages are. The power and uses of heritages are therefore considered as well as their capacity to overcome already existing macro-social definitions, hierarchies and positions. The research sample of mostly middle-aged or older generations, local activists or representatives of various associations or political bodies revealed that the heritage of the Pivško region is diverse, related to the natural environment and personal life histories, while Martin Krpan was rarely considered a part of it. Despite its variety of interpretations, the common denominator for heritage is its capacity to serve as a mechanism of social cohesion and community formation. However, while mostly viewed as a remedy against individualisation and alienation, heritage at the same time reproduces existing socio-political power relations and, especially when compared to the creative industries, is only rarely considered an additional or exclusive existential opportunity.