THE "HYBRIDS" AND THE RE-ORDERING OF ISTRIA, 1870–1914

This article deals with the political strategies related to the diagnosis of a culturally diverse and hybrid Istria. Discussions about hybridity first appeared in the circles of Austrian and Italian experts from the middle of the 19th century. There, the hybridity discourse was part of a re-ordering of the monarchy after the revolution of 1848. The exploration of Istrian cultural hybridity by imperial science is a very good example of how scientific categories in the sense of classifying the population could create social realities. The greatest credit for this was due to the state, science and its institutions. However, apart from these elite circles, regional and local actors in Istria also participated in the negotiation of identity and also used the categorization and classification of the population to achieve their political goals. The archive material and newspapers consulted show that Istrian hybridity was also a guideline for political action at the local level.