First World War Remembrance and Battlefield Preservation: The Soča/Isonzo Front

This book examines the remarkably preserved Soča/Isonzo Front battlefield, exploring how its material heritage has shaped World War I (WW1) remembrance across changing political regimes along the Italian-Slovenian border.

It introduces the reader to how conflict landscapes function as independent agents of remembrance, transcending political changes and national narratives. The book offers a multidisciplinary approach that combines anthropology, archaeology and memory studies to trace the ’social life’ of this lesser-known WW1 battlefield. By examining material heritage through multiple lenses, it reveals how physical remnants continue to shape collective memory and cultural understanding of the conflict, providing fresh perspectives on war commemoration beyond traditional historical accounts.

This book is written for scholars and students in the fields of memory studies, military history, heritage preservation and modern conflict archaeology. It will appeal to researchers interested in WW1, particularly those focusing on the South-Eastern European theatre and the Italian Front. Libraries supporting programs in anthropology, European history, cultural heritage studies and war studies will find this an essential addition to their collections. The book is also suitable for heritage professionals working with battlefield preservation and commemoration.

Alexander J. Potočnik originally graduated as an architect. Since the year 2000, he has been involved in fortification heritage studies and has published several books on this topic in Slovenian and English language. In 2006 he became an associate partner of the Ad Pirum Institute, a Slovenian institution devoted to the study and preservation of architectural heritage. He has also worked for the Institute for the Protection of Cultural Heritage of Slovenia (ZVKDS). In 2023 Potočnik obtained a PhD in history at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia.