ABSTRACT
The point of departure for this chapter is the structural changes in Trieste at the turn of the century as it evolved from a cosmopolitan merchant town dominated by Italian culture and language into a multinational, predominantly Italian and Slovene industrial city, becoming Austria-Hungary’s most important port. The result of this transformation was paradoxical, characterized both by a peak of wealth and an existential national conflict. The massive and continuous influx of heterogeneous immigrants led to a constant reshuffling of the city’s social fabric. Identities were insecure: anchored by economic links to Austria, cultural links to Italy, and an emerging Slovene national consciousness.
