PRETEKLO IN SEDANJE DELOVANJE INŠTITUTA ZA SLOVENSKO IZSELJENSTVO
Breda Čebulj-Sajko
Prispevek govori o zgodovini delovanja našega inštituta ter o njegovih delovnih načrtih za naprej in je bil v skrajšani obliki že objavljen1. Zaradi aktualnosti njegove vsebine za prvo številko zbornika Dve domovini sem se odločila, da ga dopolnjenega z novimi podatki ponovno objavim.
Začetki organiziranega zbiranja gradiva o slovenskih izseljencih po II. svetovni vojni sežejo v leto 1951. Takrat je bila v Ljubljani ustanovljena Slovenska izseljenska matica (v nadaljevanju Matica) in v njenem okviru zgodovinska sekcija. Še istega leta so sodelavci Matice razposlali med naše rojake po svetu nad pet tisoč povabil k zbiranju gradiva. Nekateri med njimi, še zlasti Slovenci v Združenih državah Amerike, so se vabilu odzvali. Del njihovega poslanega materiala je bil objavljen v prvih številkah Rodne grude in Slovenskega izseljenskega koledarja2
Zaradi obilice zbranega gradiva sta Matica in Inštitut za zgodovino delavskega gibanja leta 1960 dala pobudo za pisanje zgodovine ameriških Slovencev, ki so v Slovenskem domu v Clevelandu organizirali center za zbiranje zgodovinskega gradiva in ga pošiljali v domovino. Ves zbrani material naj bi se razdelil med ustrezne ustanove: Inštitut za zgodovino delavskega gibanja naj bi hranil arhive slovenskih izseljenskih društev in organizacij, Narodna in univerzitetna knjižnica (v nadaljevanju NUK) pa knjige, revijalni in periodični izseljenski tisk. Projekt so poleg Matice, Inštituta za zgodovino delavskega gibanja in NUK-a podprli še Slovenska akademija znanosti in umetnosti (SAZU), Filozofska fakulteta (FF), Zavod za statistiko SRS, Državni arhiv Slovenije in Inštitut za narodnostna vprašanja. Ustanovili so iniciativni odbor za zgodovino slovenskega izseljenstva, s čimer je prvotna pobuda dobila širše raz-
sežnosti: v zgodovinskem prikazu naj bi zajeli celotno slovensko izseljenstvo (in ne zgolj ameriško), in sicer za obdobje od druge polovice 19. stoletja do 2. svetovne vojne. V ta namen so si leta 1963 postavili prva izhodišča za svoje delo: izdelati bibliografijo tiska o izseljencih, zbirati arhivsko gradivo in preučiti statistiko izseljevanja s slovenskega ozemlja.
Še istega leta je SAZU postala nosilec projekta Zgodovina slovenskega izseljenstva. Skupaj z zgodovinsko sekcijo Matice je 18. junija ustanovila Študijski center za zgodovino slovenskega izseljenstva (v nadaljevanju Center). Njegove glavne naloge so bile: zbirati, znanstveno proučevati in objavljati gradivo, ki se vključuje v prikaz zgodovine slovenskega izseljenstva. Vse do leta 1967 je deloval v smislu iniciativnega odbora brez lastnih prostorov in kadrov. Znanstvenemu svetu Centra, sestavljenemu iz akademikov, strokovnjakov izven SAZU ter treh članov Matice je predsedoval akademik prof.dr. Fran Zwitter.
Delo je bilo resno zastavljeno. Gradivo o naših izseljencih in o izseljevanju iz Slovenije se je zbiralo in delno obdelovalo v treh sekcijah Centra: arhivski (pod vodstvom Eme Umek iz Državnega arhiva Slovenije), bibliografski (vodil jo je Janez Logar iz NUK-a) in statistični (pod vodstvom Živka Šifrerja iz Zavoda za statistiko SRS). V projekt, ki ga je od leta 1964 dalje financiral sklad Borisa Kidriča, so se vključili še geografi, zgodovinarji, sociologi itd.
Center je ves čas svojega aktivnega delovanja tesno sodeloval z Matico, ki je julija 1965 v svojih prostorih pripravila razstavo izseljenskega tiska in fotografij v počastitev 20-letni-ce obstoja Jugoslavije. Z njo je prikazala gmotno in moralno pomoč naših izseljencev domovini v času 2. svetovne vojne. Ob tej priložnosti so odprli tudi spominsko sobo Louisa Adamiča v njegovi rojstni hiši v Blatu pri Grosupljem ter dali pobudo, naj bi graščino Praproče preuredili v izseljenski muzej. V njem naj bi prirejali razstave o življenju slovenskih izseljencev, ki bi jih na podlagi znanstvenega dela pripravljal Center. Zaradi že omenjenih organizacijskih, kadrovskih in prostorskih problemov Centra se predlogi niso uresničili.
Šestdeseta leta so bila na splošno zelo plodna na področju zbiranja in raziskovanja izseljenskega gradiva: Matica je v Slovenskem izseljenskem koledarju za leto 1965 objavila Bajčevo
bibliografijo slovenskega izseljenskega časopisja za obdobje 1891-1945, kasneje, leta 1980, je v Ljubljani kot samostojna publikacija izšlo tudi njegovo Slovensko izseljensko časopisje 1891-1945. Janez Logar je v Poročilu o opravljenem bibliografskem delu (4 strani, tipkopis) podal evidenco izseljenskih knjig, brošur, listov kot bibliografskih enot ter člankov v zbornikih in revijah, ki so bili dosegljivi v Sloveniji. V Državnem arhivu Slovenije so pregledali arhivske fonde Deželnega predsedstva za Kranjsko za leta 1814-1918, fond Deželne vlade za Kranjsko od leta 1861-1918 in Deželnega predsedstva, policijskega oddelka 1909-1914, Narodne vlade SHS za Slovenijo, Deželne vlade za Slovenijo, Pokrajinske uprave za Slovenijo od 1918-23 ter gradivo IV. oddelka Banske uprave za obdobje 1929-45. Na osnovi tega opravljenega dela je Ema Umek napisala Pregled arhivskih virov za zgodovino izseljenstva (10 strani, tipkopis). Člani statistične sekcije so pregledali jugoslovanske, avstrijske in italijanske statistične vire do 1. svetovne vojne za ozemlje nekdanje Julijske krajine, ki so bili dostopni v Ljubljani. O tem je Živko Šifrer izdelal elaborat v dveh delih Statistični podatki o izseljevanju s slovenskega etničnega ozemlja od srede 19. stoletja do 1. svetovne vojne (338 strani, tipkopis).
Vzporedno s Centrom je bila zgodovinska sekcija pri Matici še vedno glavni zbiratelj arhivskega gradiva, ki so ji ga pošiljali izseljenci iz tujine, večinoma iz Združenih držav, manj iz Argentine, Francije in Belgije. Zbirali so tudi arhive posameznih povratnikov v Sloveniji.
Zbrani podatki so se torej začeli kopičiti. Akademik prof. dr. Fran Zwitter je v dopisu predsedstvu SAZU (22. januar 1966) resno opozoril, da je potrebno iz zbirateljske faze preiti na fazo strokovne obdelave zbranega gradiva. Za uresničitev le-tega pa je Center nujno potreboval svoj prostor ter strokovno usposobljene delavce. To se je zgodilo šele čez dve leti z začasno zaposlitvijo zgodovinarja Franca Rozmana. Svoj delovni prostor je imel pri Sekciji za občo in narodno zgodovino Inštituta za zgodovino pri SAZU. Zaradi prostorske stiske je Državni arhiv Slovenije prevzel izseljenski arhiv, NUK pa je odstopila Centru ves izseljenski drobni tisk, fotografije, dvojnike knjig in listov, tako, da ji je ostal še glavni fond knjižnih in periodičnih publikacij naših izseljencev.
Med tem se je delo nadaljevalo: v arhivski sekciji so izdelali
program za pregled arhivskih fondov Mestnega in Škofijskega arhiva v Ljubljani, arhivalij Delavske zbornice Inštituta za delavsko gibanje ter arhivskih fondov v zagrebških in beograjskih arhivih. Mnogo več težav so imeli člani statistične sekcije, ki so si zadali nalogo ugotoviti, kje so Slovenci v izseljenstvu in koliko jih je. Pri tem so naleteli na metodološke probleme: kakšna je definicija izseljenca - izseljenstva, kateri so kriteriji za ugotavljanje etnične pripadnosti izseljenca, kako naj statistika upošteva potomce prve generacije Slovencev v tujini, kje dobiti vire o številu izseljenih oseb itd. - vprašanja, ki so še danes aktualna. Kljub nastalim dilemam se je Šifrer lotil statistične obdelave podatkov o razšeljevanju Slovencev po svetu. Bibliografska sekcija je zaključila z bibliografijo izseljenskih knjig, člankov v zbornikih in revijah ter časnikov kot bibliografskih enot. Bajec je popisal slovenske izseljenske liste v Evropi, Kanadi in Južni Ameriki (Argentini, Braziliji), kar je bilo z drugim tovrstnim bibliografskim delom objavljeno v Slovenskih izseljenskih koledarjih za leta 1966, ’67 in ’69.
Zaradi pomanjkanja denarja in kadrovskih težav je zastavljeno delo Centra konec šestdesetih let postopoma zamrlo.
Leta 1973 je prišlo do poskusa njegove ponovne oživitve, vendar brez uspeha. Le Matica je še naprej sprejemala pošiljke izseljenskih arhivov, vendar jih ni več sistematično urejala.
Po skoraj desetletnem mirovanju je Center leta 1982 nasledil Inštitut za izseljenstvo pri SAZU (v nadaljevanju Inštitut). Pobudo zanj so dali udeleženci mednarodnega simpozija v Ljubljani, posvečenega 30-letnici smrti Louisa Adamiča. Poudarili so pomen nadaljnjega proučevanja slovenskega izseljenstva in opozorili na mlajše strokovnjake (slaviste, zgodovinarje, geografe, etnologe, sociologe), ki so bili večinoma še v času študija vključeni v programski sklop Interdisciplinarne sinteze Znanstvenega inštituta Filozofske fakultete. V okviru tega so nastale prve seminarske in diplomske naloge o življenju slovenskih izseljencev in povratnikov.
Inštitut je po ustanovitvi dobil svoje prostore v poslopju predsedstva SAZU, prve zunanje in honorarne sodelavce, znanstveni svet (predsedoval mu je akademik prof.dr. Fran Zwitter) in upravnika (prof.dr. Janeza Stanonika). Ohranil in nadaljeval je delovno usmeritev svojega predhodnika in še naprej zbiral gradivo, pomembno za raziskovanje slovenskega izseljenstva
tako s historičnega vidika kot tudi z vidika tedanjega položaja in vloge slovenskih izseljencev po svetu. V tesnem sodelovanju z Matico je ponovno navezal stike s Slovenci v Združenih državah, Južni Ameriki, Kanadi, Avstraliji in Zahodni Evropi. Sodelavci Inštituta, še zlasti Mila Šenk - bivša urednica Slovenskega koledarja - so začeli sistematično urejevati dokumentacijo, ki je bila zbrana še med delovanjem Centra (t.j. zapuščine izseljencev, arhive društev, organizacij, župnij, posameznikov, izseljenski tisk itd.). V letu 1983 je Inštitut tudi formalno postal osrednji slovenski dokumentacijski center za zbiranje arhivskega gradiva o slovenskih izseljencih. Takrat je od Matice prejel del njihovega arhiva, od NUK-a kartoteko izseljenskih revij in časopisov, od Arhiva SRS pa kartoteko s popisom arhivskih izseljenskih fondov. Ohranjen je tudi popis vsega zbranega materiala iz obdobja projekta Zgodovina slovenskega izseljenstva ter Šifrerjev elaborat.
Po svojem delovnem programu naj bi Inštitut izdelal centralno kartoteko vseh znanstvenih in drugih ustanov v Jugoslaviji in po svetu, ki imajo arhivsko gradivo o slovenskih izseljencih, vodil naj bi bibliografijo vseh slovenskih izseljenskih publikacij, delal naj bi bibliografijo vseh znanstvenih in drugih pomembnejših študij, ki obravnavajo slovensko izseljenstvo, izdelal naj bi kartoteko vseh pomembnejših slovenskih izseljencev tako za preteklost kot za sedanjost, imel naj bi tudi svojo priročno knjižnico. Tako obsežno zastavljeno dejavnost Inštituta naj bi opravljali strokovni delavci v sedmih oddelkih: v dokumentacijskem, časopisnem, statističnem, arhivskem, bibliografskem, v biografsko-monografskem ter v knjižnici. Posebno pozornost naj bi posvečali interdisciplinarnim raziskavam, v katerih bi ne samo problemsko, temveč tudi regionalno zajeli vsa tista področja izven meja matične domovine, kjer so in še prebivajo naši rojaki. Za cilj celotnega zbirateljskega in raziskovalnega dela je bil spet postavljen celovit prikaz slovenskega izseljenstva.
Kot že v preteklosti tako se je tudi v tem obdobju pojavil problem zaposlitve strokovnjakov in vse do konca leta 1984 je imel Inštitut poleg zunanjih sodelavcev le Milo Šenk kot honorarno sodelavko za urejanje dokumentacije. Občasno je sodelovala pri posameznih geslih za Enciklopedijo Slovenije in Enciklopedijo Jugoslavije. Z njeno pomočjo je Inštitut junija 1984
sodeloval pri razstavi dokumentarnega gradiva ob 80-letnici Slovenske narodne podporne jednote in ob 50-letnici Progresivnih Slovenk Amerike. Razstavo je priredil NUK. Istočasno so bile v prostorih SAZU razstavljene vse publikacije s področja slovenskega izseljenstva, ki so izšle konec sedemdesetih in v začetku osemdesetih let v Sloveniji.
Kot je bilo že nakazano, se je na Inštitutu konec leta 1984 za določen čas zaposlila sociologinja dr. Silva Mežnarič. Njena glavna naloga je bila, da sestavi program dela za naslednje srednjeročno obdobje. Zaradi pomanjkljivega sodelovanja in medsebojnega informiranja med Inštitutom in ostalimi ustanovami ter raziskovalci, ki so se takrat ukvarjali s preučevanjem izseljenstva, je dr. Mežnaričeva v februarju in marcu 1985 leta organizirala dva sestanka - »panelni razpravi«. Na obeh so razpravljalci ugotovili neusklajenost raziskovalnega dela na področju izseljenstva (tako z organizacijskega kot z vsebinskega vidika) ter predlagali, da Inštitut prevzame osrednjo koordinacijsko vlogo med raziskovalci slovenskega izseljenstva. Izražali so sugestije o nadaljnjih nalogah Inštituta, med katerimi naj bi bila prva: interdisciplinarno (in ne zgolj historično) raziskovanje izseljenstva. Prvič so spregovorili tudi o odnosu med izvajalci in uporabniki bodočih raziskav, pri čemer naj bi bili uporabniki predlagatelji obravnavanih tem za naslednje srednjeročno obdobje, sodelavci Inštituta pa bi imeli vlogo izvajalcev.
Srednjeročni program Inštituta, ki je nastal po »panelih«, je v primerjavi s prejšnjimi vseboval nekatere novitete, kot npr.: izdelava tipologije izseljencev po področjih izseljevanja/priseljevanja ter imigracijske/emigracijske politike dežel izseljevanja/priseljevanja; raziskovanje adaptacijskih, integracijskih, akulturacijskih sprememb v življenju izseljenca ter spreminjanje njegove narodne identitete. Primerjalno naj bi obravnavali tudi zdomske študije v odnosu do izseljenskih. Inštitut naj bi pričel z izdajo vsaj ene mednarodne publikacije.
Srednjeročnega programa, ki je v zapisnikih sej znanstvenega sveta Inštituta za leto 1985 mnogo bolj natančno predstavljen kot s tem člankom, ostali raziskovalci izseljenske problematike niso ugodno sprejeli. Očitali so mu preveliko sociološko in premajhno literarno-kulturološko orientacijo.
Posledica tega je bila, da se je v istem letu na Inštitutu za
nedoločen čas zaposlila Janja Žitnik, po stroki germanistka, dr. Mežnaričevi pa se je njen zaposlitveni čas iztekel konec leta 1986.
Če v kratkem strnem dejavnost Inštituta za omenjeni dve leti, je na raziskovalnem področju potekalo delo prof.dr. Janeza Stanonika o biografiji in korespondenci Marka Antona Kappu-sa, delo dr. Silve Mežnarič o idejni zasnovi socioloških raziskav o slovenskih izseljencih v New South Walesu v Avstraliji, magistrsko delo Janje Žitnik o zgodovinskem ozadju in genezi Adamičeve knjige Orel in korenine ter arhivsko in bibliotekarsko delo Mile Šenk. Inštitut je sodeloval z Matico, z uredništvom Enciklopedije Jugoslavije, Enciklopedije Slovenije, s Slovenskim biografskim leksikonom ter s sodelavci RTV Ljubljana, ki so pripravljali nadaljevanko o zgodovini slovenskega izseljenstva. Leta 1986 se je Inštitut ponovno preimenoval, in sicer v Inštitut za slovensko izseljenstvo in se priključil Znanstvenoraziskovalnemu centru (ZRC) SAZU.
V naslednjih treh letih se je intenzivno nadaljevala kadrovska obnova Inštituta. Od prejšnjih sodelavcev je ostala le še Janja Žitnik, odprla pa so se nova delovna mesta za etnologinjo Bredo Čebulj-Sajko, za dva zgodovinarja: mag. Andreja Vovka in Marjana Drnovška, ter lani še za sociologinjo Marino Lukšič. Inštitut je dobil tudi tajnico Špelo Marinšek, novega upravnika mag. Andreja Vovka ter na novo konstituirani znanstveni svet s predsednikom akademikom prof.dr. Ferdom Gestrinom. Kadrovska struktura Inštituta je do danes ostala nespremenjena in jo bo v bodoče še treba razširiti.
Raziskovalno delo je končno zaživelo in postalo mnogo bolj razgibano kot v preteklem obdobju. Novi sodelavci Inštituta smo na temeljih že opravljenega dela izdelali nov dolgoročni program3, ki ga, vsak po svojih strokovnih močeh in v okviru podiplomskih študijev (vpisana sta dva magisterija in trije doktorati), postopoma uresničujemo. Rdeča nit, ki povezuje vse pretekle programe Centra in kasneje Inštituta, se do danes ni pretrgala. Osnovni cilj našega dela je interdisciplinarno prikazati zgodovino slovenskega izseljenstva od njegovih začetkov do današnjih dni. S tega stališča se v dolgoročni program Inštituta vključujejo tako naše4 kot raziskave zunanjih sodelavcev. Delo temelji na že zbranem gradivu, ki ga skušamo stalno dopolnjevati z novimi, po izvoru zelo raznovrstnimi podatki.0 V ta
namen se še zlasti v zadnjem času kot referenti udeležujemo vseh pomembnejših posvetovanj, simpozijev, okroglih miz ipd.0, ki zadevajo našo problematiko. Prav tako načrtno razširjamo mrežo sodelovanja s sorodnimi inštitucijami doma in po svetu7 ter kontinuirano povečujemo bibliotečni fond. V zvezi z dopolnjevanjem že zbrane arhivsko-dokumentacijske zbirke, ki je trenutno še vedno razdeljena med tri inštitucije0, se zavzemamo predvsem za njeno združitev. V tem dokaj kratkem obdobju skupnega delovanja smo rezultate našega dela redno objavljali v ustreznih domačih in tujih strokovnih publikacijah®. V letu, ki je pred nami, se bomo udeležili 25. zborovanja slovenskih zgodovinarjev v Murski Soboti z naslovom Migracije v slovenski preteklosti in znanstvenega simpozija Način in perspektive delovanja Slovencev doma in po svetu.
In ne nazadnje: s pomočjo zunanjih sodelavcev smo uspeli izdati prvo številko zbornika Dve domovini S tem odpiramo možnost domačim in tujim raziskovalcem slovenskega izseljenstva, da objavljajo rezultate svojega dela v do sedaj edini tovrstni strokovni publikaciji pri nas.
OPOMBE
1. Breda Čebulj-Sajko, V Ljubljani deluje Inštitut za sloven-
sko izseljenstvo, Slovenski koledar ’88, Ljubljana, Slovenska izseljenska matica, 1989, str.75-77; ista, Inštitut za slovensko izseljenstvo ZRC SAZU Ljubljana, Glasnik SED 27/1987,	1-2, Ljubljana, Slovensko etnološko društvo,
1988, str. 76-78
2.	Rodna gruda in Slovenski	izseljenski koledar (od leta	1973
Slovenski koledar) sta	začela izhajati leta 1954.	Obe
publikaciji še danes izdaja Slovenska izseljenska matica v Ljubljani
3.	Glej: Program Inštituta	za slovensko izseljenstvo	ZRC
SAZU (dolgoročni, srednjeročni), Ljubljana, Inštitut za slovensko izseljenstvo ZRC SAZU, 1987, 9 str., tipkopis; Delovne teze za dolgoročni program za raziskovanje slovenskega izseljenstva, Ljubljana, Inštitut za slovensko izseljenstvo ZRC SAZU, 1987, 2 str., tipkopis
4.	Poglavitne raziskave, ki jih trenutno opravljamo sodelavci
Inštituta, so naslednje:
- mag. Janja Žitnik: Zadnje obdobje Adamičevega literarnega ustvarjanja (doktorska naloga)
- mag. Andrej Vovko: Povezave slovenskih izseljencev z matično domovino in prekomorsko izseljevanje (samostojna naloga)
- Marjan Drnovšek: Izseljevanje iz osrednje Kranjske pred 1. svetovno vojno (doktorska naloga); isti: Priseljevanje in življenje Slovencev v Franciji in Belgiji (samostojna naloga)
- Marina Lukšič: Resocializacija slovenskih izseljencev v Evropi (magistrska naloga)
- Breda Cebulj-Sajko: Slovenski izseljenci v Avstraliji (magistrska naloga)
- Špela Marinšek: Izdelava bibliografije znanstvenih del, razprav in člankov s področja slovenskega izseljenstva (samostojna naloga)
5. Mnogo dragocenih podatkov o izseljevanju iz Slovenije smo
v zadnjih treh letih dobili pri pregledovanju: Zgodovinskega arhiva Ljubljana, Nadškofijskega arhiva, Arhiva SRS, Arhiva CK ZKS, arhiva Marije Vilfan, NUK-a (rokopisni in časopisni oddelek), Osrednje družboslovne knjižnice Jožeta Goričarja na Fakulteti za sociologijo, politologijo in novinarstvo (FSPN), publikacij Raziskovalnega inštituta FSPN ter literature in periodike oddelčnih knjižnic FF (še zlasti geografske, zgodovinske in etnološke). V tujini smo obiskali British Museum in British Library v Londonu, Archives Nationales in Bibliotheque Nationale v Parizu, v letošnjem letu pa načrtujemo še obisk National Library in Australian Archives v Canberri v Avstraliji. Zelo koristna v tem pogledu je tudi redna korespondenca z nekaterimi avstralskimi, ameriškimi in argentinskimi Slovenci, ki se profesionalno ukvarjajo s problemom slovenskega izseljenstva.
6. Omenim naj le najpomembnejše: Janja Žitnik se je z refe-
ratom udeležila kongresa Suodnosi južnoslovenskih književnosti s književnostima na engleskom jeziku (Zagreb,
1987). Marjan Drnovšek je kot referent sodeloval pri Okrogli mizi o življenju in delu Toma Brejca (Kranj,
1988). Vsi sodelavci Inštituta smo se z referati udeležili okrogle mize Slovenci in izseljenstvo (Dolenjske Toplice,
1989). Janja Žitnik je s svojim prispevkom sodelovala pri
drugi etnični delavnici štirih inštitutov (Ljubljana, 1990).
7. Intenzivno sodelovanje poteka z naslednjimi inštitutcijami:
Odsek za zgodovino pri Narodni in študijski knjižnici v Trstu, Knjižnica Dušana Černeta v Trstu, Society for Slovene Studies v Združenih državah Amerike, Slovenska kulturna akcija v Buenos Airesu (Argentina), School of Behavioural Sciences, Macquorie University v Sydneyu (Avstralija).
8. Del arhivsko-dokumentacijske zbirke je na našem Inštitutu,
preostali del pa na Matici in v Arhivu SRS.
9. Glej: Bibliografija delavcev Inštituta za slovensko izseljen-
stvo ZRC SAZU s področja preučevanja slovenskega izseljenstva, Ljubljana, Inštitut za slovensko izseljenstvo ZRC SAZU, 1989, 10 str., tipkopis (približno 90 bibliografskih enot).
LITERATURA IN VIRI
Zapisniki sej IO Slovenske izseljenske matice, ki jih hrani Inštitut za slovensko izseljenstvo ZRC SAZU
Zapisniki sej znanstvenega sveta Študijskega centra za zgodovino slovenskega izseljenstva SAZU
Zapisniki sej znanstvenega sveta Inštituta za izseljenstvo SAZU
Zapisniki sej znanstvenega sveta Inštituta za slovensko izseljenstvo ZRC SAZU
Slovenski izseljenski koledar 12/1965-14/1967, 16/1969. Ljubljana, Slovenska izseljenska matica 1964-1966, 1968
Letopis SAZU 36/1986-39/1988, Ljubljana, Slovenska akademija znanosti in umetnosti, 1986-1988
THE PAST AND THE PRESENT ACTIVITY OF THE INSTITUTE FOR SLOVENE EMIGRATION RESEARCH
Breda Čebulj-Sajko
The present article,	which discusses	the history of	our
Institute’s activity and	its	work plans	for the future,	has
already been published	in	an abridged	form.1 Due to	the
pertinence of its contents for the first issue of the anthology Dve domovini/Two Homelands I have decided to publish it again.
The beginnings of an organized collecting of data on Slovene emigrants after World War II go back to 1951 when Slovenska izseljenska matica (the Slovene Emigration Center, hereafter: Matica) and, within it, the History Section, was established. The same year, over 5000 invitations were sent by the collaborators of Matica to	our	countrymen	all over the world,
urging them to collect relevant data. Some of them, particularly the Slovenes in the United States, answered the call. Part of the material they sent has already been published in the first issues of Rodna gruda and Slovenski izseljenski koledar.2
Due to the abundance of data collected, Matica and Inštitut za zgodovino delavskega gibanja (the Intitute for the History of Labor Movements) started an initiative in 1960 to write the history of those American Slovenes who had organized a center for the collection of historical data in the Slovenian Home (Slovenski dom) in Cleveland which they then sent on to the homeland. All the material collected was to be divided among the relevant institutions: the Institute for the History of Labor Movements would store the archives of Slovene emigrant societies and organizations, while Narodna in univerzitetna knjižnica (the National and University Library, hereafter: NUK) would store emigrant books, magazines and periodicals. In addition to Matica, the Institute for the History of Labor Movements and NUK, this project was also supported
by Slovenska akademija znanosti in umetnosti (the Slovene Academy of Sciences and Arts, hereafter: SAZU), Filozofska fakulteta (the Faculty of Arts, hereafter: FF), Zavod za statistiko SRS (the Statistics Bureau of Slovenia), Državni arhiv Slovenije (the State Archives of Slovenia) and Inštitut za narodnostna vprašanja (the Institute for Ethnic Studies). An initiative board to coordinate study of the history of Slovene emigrants was founded. Through it the original idea grew to broader dimensions: the historical outline would encompass all Slovene emigration (not only American) for the period from the second half of the Nineteenth Century to World War II. The outlines for the work were set in 1963: to make a bibliography of emigrant studies, to collect archive materials and to examine the statistical data on emigration from the Slovene territory.
That same year, SAZU became the bearer of the project »History of Slovene emigration«. Together with the History Section of Matica, it founded - on June 18 - Studijski center za zgodovino slovenskega izseljenstva (the Center for the Studies of the History of Slovene Emigration, hereafter: the Center). Its major tasks were to collect, to scientifically study and to publish the materials which fit into the survey of Slovene emigration history. Until 1967, it operated as an initiative board only, without any premises or manpower of its own. Members of the Scientific Board of the Center, whose chairman was academician Prof. Dr. Fran Zwitter, were academicians, authoritites from outside the SAZU and three members of Matica.
The task was taken seriously. The material on our emigrants and on emigration from Slovenia was collected and partially treated in the three sections of the Center: the Archives Section (under the leadership of Ema Umek of the State Archives of Slovenia), the Section for Bibliography (headed by Janez Logar of NUK) and the Statistics Section (led by Živko Šifrer of the Statistics Bureau of Slovenia). Geographers, historians, sociologists and others also joined the project, a project which, since 1964, had been funded by the Boris Kidrič Fundation.
During the period of its activity, the Center closely cooperated with Matica. In July 1965, in honor of the 20th anniversa-
ry of Yugoslavia, that organization opened on its premises an exhibition on the emigrant press and photography. The exhibition also showed the material and moral aid which our emigrants gave to their homeland during World War II. On the same occasion, a Louis Adamic memorial room was opened at his birthplace in Blato, near Grosuplje, and an initiative was started to convert castle Praporče into an emigrant museum. The museum was supposed to feature exhibits on the life of Slovene emigrants which the Center would prepare, based on its own research. Due to the Center’s organizational, manpower, and space problems, the above proposals were never realized.
In general, the 1960’s were very productive in the areas of collection and research of the emigrant materials. In Slovenski izseljenski koledar for 1965, Matica published a bibliography of Slovene emigrant press 1891-1945 by Jože Bajec. Later, in 1980, his Slovensko izseljensko časopisje 1891-1945 (Slovene Emigrant Press 1891-1945) came out as an independent publication. In his »Poročilo o opravljenem bibliografskem delu« (»Report on the Bibliographic Research«, 4 pages, typed), Janez Logar listed emigrant books, broachures and papers - treating them as bibliographic units - and articles in anthologies and magazines that had been available in Slovenia. The State Archives of Slovenia surveyed the archives of Deželno predsedstvo za Kranjsko (the Land Presidency for Carniola) for the years 1814-1918, Deželna vlada za Kranjsko (the Land Government for Carniola) for the years 1861-1918, Deželno predsedstvo, policijski oddelek (the Land Presidency, the Police Department) for the years 1909-14, Narodna vlada SHS za Slovenijo (the National Government of SHS for Slovenia), Deželna vlada za Slovenijo, (the Land Government of Slovenia), Pokrajinska uprava za Slovenijo (the Provincial Administration for Slovenia) for the years 1918-23, and the files of the fourth section of Banska uprava (the Ban Administration) for the period 1929-45. On the basis of this work, Ema Umek wrote »Pregled arhivskih virov za zgodovino izseljenstva« (A Survey of Archival Sources for the History of Emigration«, 10 pages, typed). Members of the Statistics Section checked Yugoslav, Austrian and Italian statistical sources available in Ljubljana,
covering the area of the old Giulian province up to World War
I.	Živko Šifrer produced a two-part study, »Statistični podatki o izseljevanju s slovenskega etničnega ozemlja od srede 19. stoletja do 1. svetovne vojne« (»Statistical Data on Emigration from Slovene Ethnic Territory from the Middle of the Nineteenth Century until World War I«, 338 pages, typed).
In work which paralleled that of the Center, the Matica History Section remained the major collector of archival material sent to it by emigrants abroad, mostly from the U.S. and, to a lesser extent, from Argentina, France and Belgium. Archives of individual returnees to Slovenia were also collected.
The amount of data thus collected began to grow. In his letter to the SAZU Presidency (Jan. 22, 1966), academician Prof. Dr. Fran Zwitter issued a serious warning about the necessity for a change from the collection phase to the phase of data treatment. To realize this shift of emphasis, the Center urgently needed its own premises and manpower. This happened two years after, when historian Franc Rozman was employed. His workplace was with Sekcija za občo in narodno zgodovino Inštituta za zgodovino pri SAZU (the Section for General and National History of the Institute for History of SAZU). Due to the continuing lack of space, the State Archives of Slovenia took over the emigration archives, while NUK ceded the Center all emigration pamphlets, photographs, and doubles of books and papers, while still retaining the major portion of the literary and periodical publications of our emigrants.
Meanwhile, the work continued. The Archives Section started a program to review the files of Mestni and Škofijski arhiv (the Municipal and Diocesan Archives) in Ljubljana, the archives of Delavska zbornica (the Chamber of Labor) of the Institute for Labor Movements and the archives in Zagreb and Belgrade. Members of the Statistics Section encountered many problems in setting up their task of finding out where the emigrant Slovenes were and how numerous they were. For example, they encountered problems of methodology. What is the definition of an emigrant/emigration? What are the criteria for establishing the ethnic roots of an emigrant? What should be the statistical treatment of descendants of the first generation of Slovenes abroad? Where are notes on the number
of emigrants to be found? All these questions remain relevant for present day researchers of emigration. Despite the dilemmas that occurred, Šifrer started the statistical, data processing work on the worldwide emigration of Slovenes. The Bibliographic Section finished its bibliography of emigrant books, articles and anthologies, magazines and papers, treating each as a bibliographic unit. Bajec listed Slovene emigration papers in Europe, Canada and South America (Argentina and Brasil) and published the results, along with other similar bibliographic work, in the 1966, ’67 and ’69 issues of Slovenski izseljenski koledar.
By the end of the 1960’s, further execution of the work the Center had begun gradually died out for lack of funds and because of personnel troubles.
In 1973 the Center was revived again, but without success. Only Matica kept receiving emigrant archives, but it did not classify them.
In 1982, after a hiatus of almost ten years, the Center was succeeded by Inštitut za izseljenstvo SAZU (the Institute for Emigration of SAZU, hereafter: the Institute). The initiative for it was taken by the participants at an international symposium in Ljubljana that was organized on the 30th anniversary of Louis Adamic’s death. They stressed the importance of further study of Slovene emigration and pointed to the younger specialists (Slavists, historians, geographers, ethnologists, sociologists) who participated in the Interdisciplinary Syntheses Project of the Scientific Institute of the Faculty of Arts. Within that project appeared the first seminar and diploma papers on the life of Slovene emigrants and returnees.
After it was founded, the Institute was given its premises in the SAZU Presidency building, its first external and paid collaborators, and a Scientific Council (presided over by academician Prof. Dr. Fran Zwitter). The Head of the Institute was Prof. Dr. Janez Stanonik. It continued activities, using the guidelines of its predecessor, by collecting materials important both for research on the Slovene emigration (from the historical and contemporary aspects) and for research on the role of Slovene emigrants worldwide. In close cooperation with Matica, it re-established contacts with Slovenes in the U.S., South America, Canada, Australia and West Europe. The personnel of
the Institute, especially Mila Šenk - ex-editor of Slovenski koledar - started to arrange systematically that documentation which had been collected at the time the Center was operating (heritage of emigrants, archives of societies, organizations, parishes, individuals, emigrant press, etc.). In 1983 the Institute also became the official, central Slovene documentation center for the collection of materials on Slovene emigrants. It then received a part of the archives from Matica, the files on emigrant magazines and newspapers from NUK, and the files containing data on emigration from the Archives of Slovenia. It has also preserved in its collections the list of all materials collected within the project »A History of Slovene Emigration« and Sifrer’s study.
According to its planned program of work, the Institute was supposed to prepare a central databank of all scientific and other institutions in Yugoslavia and abroad that possess archival materials on Slovene emigrants; it was also to keep a bibliography of all Slovene emigrant publication, prepare a bibliography of scientific and other important studies involving Slovene emigration, make a file on all important Slovene emigrants (both in the past and in the present), and keep its library. This broad range of activity in the Institute was to be done by its specialists in seven departments: Documentation, Newspapers, Statistics, Archives, Bibliography, Biography-Mo-nography and Library. Particular attention was to he given to interdisciplinary research, to ensure coverage of all those areas outside our homeland where our countrymen have lived and still do, not only by subject but also by region. Again, the goal of collection and research was to create a comprehensive outline of Slovene emigration.
As had happened in the past, so also this time were there problems over the employment of specialists, and until the end of 1984 the Institute had, besides its external collaborators, only Mila Šenk as a part-time worker who did the documentation. She occasionally contributed entries to the Encyclopedia of Slovenia and to the Encyclopedia of Yugoslavia. In June 1984 the Institute participated, with her help, in the exhibit of documentary material that was set up for the 80th anniversary of Slovenska Narodna Podporna Jednota (the Slovene National Benefit Society) and the 50th anniversary of
Progresivne Slovenke Amerike (the Progressive Women of America). The exhibit was organized by NUK. At the same time, all work on Slovene emigration published by the early 1980’s in Slovenia was displayed in SAZU.
By the end of 1984 the Institute had employed a sociologist, Dr. Silva Mežnarid. Her major task was to prepare a work program for the next mid-term period. There was inadequate cooperation and information flow between the Institute and other institutions and researchers studying emigration, so Dr. Mežnarič organized two panels in February and March 1985 to try to address this problem. At both panels the speakers ascertained a lack of coordination in research on emigration (both from the point of organization and of subject) and suggested that the Institute take over the role of central coordinator among the researchers of Slovene emigration. They also suggested future tasks for the Institute, among which the first should be interdisciplinary (not just historical) research on emigration. For the first time, they discussed the researcher -end user relationship for future research. In that relationship, the end users would suggest subjects for the next mid-term period, while the Institute’s staff would do the research.
Compared to previous mid-term programs, the program the Institute made subsequent to the panels contained some novelties. Those included, (1) preparation of a typology of emigrants according to areas of emigration/immigration and immigration/emigration policies of host/emigration countries, and (2) research on adaptational, interactional and acculturational changes in the life of an emigrant and the transformation of his national identity. A comparison was also to be done between the studies on expatriates and those on emigrants. In addition, the Institute was to start at least one international publication.
The mid-term program, which the minutes of the Scientific Council of the Institute meetings in 1985 present in greater detail than those given here, was not well received by other researchers on emigration. They charged that it had too much sociological and too little literary-cultural orientation.
The consequence of this was that in the same year Janja Žitnik, a research assistant studying Slovene emigrant literature, took employment with the Institute. Meanwhile, Dr.
Mežnarič’s term of employment was concluded at the end of 1986.
In short, the research activities of the Institute in the years 1985-86 included Prof. Dr. Janez Stanonik’s research on the biography and correspondence of Mark Anton Kappus, Dr. Silva Mežnarič’s work on the ideological foundations of sociological research on Slovene emigrants in New South Wales, Australia, Janja Žitnik’s master’s thesis on the historical background and the genesis of Louis Adamic’s The Eagle and the Roots, and Mila Senk’s archival and library work. Also, the Institute cooperated with Matica, with the editorial offices of the Encyclopedia of Yugoslavia and Encyclopedia of Slovenia, with the Slovene Biographic Encyclopedia and with Ljubljana TV, which prepared a serial on the history of Slovene emigration. In 1986 the Institute changed its name again, to the Institute for Slovene Emigration Research, and it joined the Center of Scientific Research (ZRC) of SAZU.
The next three years saw an intensive re-staffing of the Institute. Of the old staff, only Janja Žitnik remained, while new openings were made for ethnologist Breda Čebulj-Sajko, for historians Andrej Vovko, M.A., and Marjan Drnovšek, and for sociologist Marina Lukšič. The Institute also got its own secretary, Spela Marinšek, a new Head, Andrej Vovko, and a newly-constituted Scientific Council with a new chairman, academician Prof. Dr. Ferdo Gestrin. The staff structure of the Institute has remained unchanged since, but it is likely to expand in size in the future.
Research has finally accelerated. On the basis of work already done, the new employees of the Institute have outlined a new long-term program3 which we will implement step-by-step, according to each person’s professional ability and with the help of post-graduate studies (two master’s and three doctorates have been signed up). The line of commitment that runs through all the past programs of the Center, and later of the Institute, has not been broken. The primary goal of our work has remained an interdisciplinary presentation of the history of Slovene emigration from its beginnings up to today. From this point of view, our research4, as well as that of external collaborators, fits into the long-term program of the Institute. The work is based on the material already collected,
which we try to supplement with new data of heterogenous origin®. For this purpose, we have recently actively participated as speakers at all major conventions, symposia, panels, etc.6, which relate to our area of work. We also purposefully expand our network of cooperation with similar institutions at home and abroad7 and continuously increase our library. As regards the supplementation of the archives-documents collection - which remains divided among three institutions8 - we advocate its integration. In this short period of common activity, we have regularly published the results of our work in the relevant domestic and foreign professional publications®. In the coming year we will participate in the 25th Convention of Slovene Historians in Murska Sobota, titled »Migrations in the Slovene History«, and in the symposium »The Ways and Perspectives of the Activities of Slovenes at Home and Abroad«.
Last, but not least: with the aid of our external collaborators we have succeeded in producing the first issue of Dve domovini/Two Homelands. With it we enable both domestic and foreign researchers of Slovene emigration to publish the results of their work in a unique professional publication.
NOTES
1.	Breda Čebulj-Sajko, V Ljubljani deluje Inštitut za sloven-
sko izseljenstvo, Slovenski koledar ’88, Ljubljana, Slovenska izseljenska matica, 1989, pp, 75-77; Breda Čebulj--Sajko, Inštitut za slovensko izseljenstvo ZRC SAZU Ljubljana, Glasnik SED 27/1987, 1-2, Ljubljana, Slovensko etnološko društvo, 1988, pp. 76-78
2.	Rodna gruda and Slovenski izseljenski koledar (since 1973
Slovenski koledar) started in 1954. Both publications are issued today by Slovenska izseljenska matica in Ljubljana.
3.	Cf.: Program Inštituta za slovensko izseljenstvo ZRC SAZU
- dolgoročni, srednjeročni (long- and mid-term program of the Institute for Slovene Emigration Research), Ljubljana, Inštitut za slovensko izseljenstvo ZRC SAZU, 1987, 9 p. (typed); Delovne teze za dolgoročni program za raziskovanje slovenskega izseljenstva (An outline of a long-term
program for the research on Slovene emigration), Ljubljana, Inštitut za slovensko izseljenstvo ZRC SAZU, 1987, 2
p. (typed)
4. The major research in progress, done by the staff of the
Institute:
- Janja Žitnik, M.A.: The last period of Louis Adamic’s literary endavour (doctoral thesis)
- Andrej Vovko, M.A.: The links of Slovene emigrants with homeland and the emigration overseas (independent research)
- Marjan Drnovšek: Emigration in central Carniola before World War I (doctoral thesis); the same: Immigration and the life of Slovenes in France and Belgium (independent research)
- Marina Lukšič: Re-socialization of Slovene emigrants in Europe (master’s thesis)
- Breda Čebulj-Sajko: Slovene emigrants in Australia (master’s thesis)
- Špela Marinšek:	Elaboration of a bibliography of scientific works, treatises and articles on Slovene emigration (independent research)
5. In the last three years we have obtained many invaluable
data on emigration from Slovenia in the course of examining: Zgodovinski arhiv Ljubljana (the Historical Archives Ljubljana), Nadškofijski arhiv (Archdiocesan Archives), Arhiv SRS (Archives of Slovenia), Arhiv CK ZKS (Archives of the Central Committee of the League of Communists of Slovenia), the private collection of Marija Vilfan, NUK (manuscript and newspaper department), Osrednja družboslovna knjižnica Jožeta Goričarja na Fakulteti za sociologijo, politilogijo in novinarstvo (Central sociological library Jože Goričar at the Faculty for sociology, political sciences and journalism - FSPN), the publications of the Research Institute of FSPN, and the literature and periodicals in departmental libraries of the Faculty of Arts in Ljubljana (esp.: geographical, historical and ethnological libraries). We have visited abroad the British Museum and the British Library in London, Archives nationales and Bibliotheque nationale in Paris and plan to visit this year
the National Library and the National Archives in Canberra, Australia. Very propitious in this sense is also our regular correspondence with some Australian, American and Argentinian Slovenes who deal professionally with the problem of Slovene emigration.
6. Let me mention only the most important: Janja Žitnik
participated with a report on the congress »Suodnosi južnoslovenskih književnosti s književnostima na engle-skom jeziku« (Zagreb, 1987). Marjan Drnovšek spoke at the panel on the life and work of Tomo Brejc (Kranj,
1988). All researchers of the Institute spoke at the panel »Slovenci in izseljenstvo« (Dolenjske Toplice, 1989). Janja Žitnik actively contributed in the second ethnic workshop of the four institutes (Ljubljana, 1990).
7. We intensively cooperate with the following institutions:
Odsek za zgodovino pri Narodni in študijski knjižnici v Trstu (Historical Department of the National and Study Library in Trieste), Dušan Černe Library in Trieste, Society for Slovene Studies in the U.S.A., Slovenska kulturna akcija in Buenos Aires, Argentina, School of Behavioral Sciences, Macquorie University, Sydney, Australia.
8. Part of the archives-documents collection is located at our
Institute, the remainder being in Matica and in the Archives of Slovenia.
9. Cf.: Bibliografija delavcev Inštituta za slovensko izseljen-
stvo ZRC SAZU s področja preučevanja slovenskega izseljenstva, Ljubljana, Inštitut za slovensko izseljenstvo ZRC SAZU, 1989, 10 p. (typed, ca. 90 bibliographic units).
LITERATURE AND SOURCES
Minutes of the meetings of the Executive Board of Slovenska izseljenska matica, stored at the Institute for Slovene Emigration Research, ZRC SAZU
Minutes of the meetings of the Scientific Council of the Center for the Studies of the History of Slovene Emigration at SAZU
Minutes of	the meetings of the	Scientific	Council	of	the
Institute for	Emigration of SAZU
Minutes of	the meetings of the	Scientific	Council	of	the
Institute for	Slovene Emigration Research, ZRC SAZU
Slovenski izseljenski koledar 12/1965 - 14/1967, 16/1969