In the period between the two world wars, the latent tensions between the European nations resulted in the construction of defensive positions on the borderlines of major European countries. Under ...the same conditions, the Italian Kingdom built an extensive fortification line, i.e. the Alpine Wall. The Kingdom of Serbs, Croats, and Slovenes (SHS) replied to it with the Rupnik Line. On the base of the Treaty of Rapallo, a 289-km long demarcation line was built with an exceptional defence infrastructure, which interfered with vast natural areas of exceptional quality that are protected by various nature conservation regimes today. The research presented in this paper is focused on a specific land expropriation. The goal is to understand the historical perspectives and assess the current significance of this fortification system with its impact on the natural environment. The system of spatial assessment of the architectural, urban, regional and spatial planning aspects and landscape interpretation has been developed with the use of spatial planning mapping and other methods. It was tested on the case study of the Žiri Municipality to establish a possible systemic base on which the entirety of the Rapallo border with its defence infrastructures could be mapped and their contemporary role assessed.
This study focused on improving the understanding of the actual extent and spatial impacts of the Rupnik Line as one of the two fortification systems of the Rapallo Border. To this end, the available ...sources were checked and the understanding about the sectoral division of the Rapallo Border’s elements was derived therefrom. The field investigation done at a micro-location level revealed the real scope of the Rupnik Line fortification facilities. By identifying and recording the individual Rupnik fortification facilities in the Municipality of Žiri and by conducting interviews, we made an overview map showing the locations of these fortification structures. This basis, testifying to the actual condition and extent of the Rupnik Line fortification system at the level of the Municipality of Žiri, made it possible to develop further in-depth research questions regarding the spatial roles and values of this system.
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