Two Heller for Trilingualism: German, Italian and Croatian in the Newspaper Omnibus (Pula, 1904– 1912) Cover Image

Zwei Heller für die Dreisprachigkeit: Deutsch, Italienisch und Kroatisch in der Pulaer Zeitung Omnibus (1904 – 1912)
Two Heller for Trilingualism: German, Italian and Croatian in the Newspaper Omnibus (Pula, 1904– 1912)

Author(s): Luca Melchior, Isabella Matticchio
Subject(s): Cultural history, Media studies, Sociolinguistics, South Slavic Languages, Nationalism Studies, 19th Century, Ethnic Minorities Studies, Identity of Collectives
Published by: De Gruyter Oldenbourg
Keywords: multilingualism; newspaper; ethnic conflict; Istria; Austro-Hungarian Empire;

Summary/Abstract: In multilingual Istria, where the coexistence of different idioms is historically constitutive, but has been anything but peaceful on several occasions in its history, the newspaper Omnibus (Pula [Pola], 1904-1912) represents a unicum. Founded as a trilingual Croatian-Italian-German newspaper, it used multilingualism strategically to represent the interests of the Croatian-speaking population and to draw attention to the prevailing imbalance between different language groups. In doing so, however, it has at least partially reflected the region’s linguistic richness and complex sociolinguistic situation. In this article the manifestations of multilingualism in Omnibus, and their changes over the period of the newspaper’s publication, are examined linguistically and presented critically in the context of other periodicals in Pula at that time.

  • Issue Year: 4/2023
  • Issue No: 1
  • Page Range: 109-128
  • Page Count: 20
  • Language: German