Rijeka in Flux
Overview
Rijeka in Flux is an interdisciplinary digital humanities research project that examines the consequences of border changes on the city of Rijeka (Fiume) following the Second World War. Bringing together historians, digital humanities scholars and geospatial researchers, the project explores how political borders reshape urban life, collective memory, migration, and the social, economic and cultural development of cities.
Moving beyond interpretations that treat post-war border changes solely through the lens of rupture and ethnic cleansing, the project proposes a more nuanced understanding of urban transformation by examining Rijeka as a unique historical case. Rather than focusing exclusively on discontinuity, the project investigates the multiple flows—of people, ideas, institutions, languages and memories—that continued to shape the city despite profound geopolitical change. This approach contributes to broader debates on twentieth-century European history and border studies.
A distinctive feature of Rijeka in Flux is its integration of historical research with digital mapping technologies. The project combines archival research, spatial analysis, augmented reality, and digital storytelling to create innovative tools for both researchers and the wider public. Through interactive web and mobile applications, users are able not only to explore expert-curated historical itineraries but also to contribute their own geo-located memories, creating a dynamic digital archive of Rijeka’s urban past.
The project demonstrates how emerging digital technologies can support historical research while fostering public engagement with cultural heritage and collective memory.
Project duration
Project duration: July 2018 – July 2020
Funder
Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)
Partners
The project brings together an interdisciplinary international research team specializing in:
- History
- Digital Humanities
- Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
- Digital Mapping
- Augmented Reality
- Public History
Project Leadership
- Principal Investigator: Brigitte Le Normand
- History Team Lead: Brigitte Le Normand
- Mapping Team Lead: Jon Corbett
- Digital Humanities Team Lead: Constance Crompton
Project objectives
The project pursues four interconnected objectives:
- investigate the impact of post-war border relocation on Rijeka as a social, political, economic and cultural space;
- document places, events and urban transformations during the first twenty-five years after the Second World War through historical research and digital mapping;
- develop interactive web and mobile applications enabling public participation through geo-located memories and augmented reality historical tours;
- create digital humanities models connecting people, places and events through network analysis, generating new insights into urban history and collective memory.
Project outputs
Major project deliverables include:
- interactive digital map of post-war Rijeka;
- augmented reality applications;
- geo-referenced historical markers;
- audio-visual materials documenting urban transformation;
- network database and digital humanities analyses;
- academic symposium;
- conference presentations;
- peer-reviewed journal articles;
- scholarly monograph;
- doctoral supervision and research training;
- publicly accessible digital heritage resources.