Cultural Societies and the Role of the Gymnasium in Gorizia between 1 848 and 1914

The paper illuminates the chronological development of national and cultural activities in the county of Gorizia in the period between 1884 and 1914. The emphasis is placed on national and cultural activities, carried out by individuals, cultural societies, reading societies, libraries and various associations of workers, teachers and youth. Their lively activities in Gorizia strongly supported the Slovene national feeling, culture and language. The entire educational system as well as the culturallevel of the people were closely related to the struggle for the Slovene school, which at that time was a constituent part of the Austrian educational system. On the one hand, these endeavours were related to the processes of systematic assimilation, germanisation and irredentism, and on the other hand the demands by the Slovenes to introduce the Slovene language into schools. Special attention is paid to the struggle taking part at the Gymnasium in Gorizia, being the first state secondary school using the Slovene language at that time