A COVID-19 epidemic was declared in Slovenia in March 2020. With mass teleworking, the premises of the Institute of Contemporary History were left empty. Employees who occasionally still worked in the office brought their pets with them, helping many a researcher overcome the long-lasting epidemic.
This positive experience has raised the question how animal-human interaction changed during 20th-century crises. Answers were sought in two workshops.
The first workshop weas intended for 6- to 10-year-olds, and the second for 11- to 14-year-olds. Their participants learned how to find various sources and use them to extract interesting stories about animals (pets) in Ljubljana during World Wars I and II. The collected stories, photos and drawings were used to make a zine, and a delicious snack was in store as well. For a more authentic atmosphere, participants could bring their own pets (properly socialised dogs).
Coordinator: Andrej Pančur, PhD, Institute of Contemporary History
