Görz

Görz (Gorizia) formally became one of Austria’s provinces in 1500 as part of Görz and Gradisca county, along with the southern part of today’s Slovenia. In the following centuries, the city, as a provincial center, quickly developed and had obtained a baroque image. The culturally and ethnically diverse settlement became a major target of Italian attacks in the Great War. Today, parts of the settlement on both sides of the River Isonzo, which crosses the city, are divided between Italy and Slovenia.

On the hill above the city stands the Castle of Görz, the old nest of the countess family. It, was first mentioned in 1001. The walls and structures still visible today were built in the second half of the county’s existence between the 1200s and 1400s. During the siege of the city in 1915-16, the artillery did not respect this old building either. The walls needed to be reconstructed in their present form after the war.

The two badges to be presented are Field Artillery Regiment (FAR) 58, and Field Gun Regiment 28 (8). These regiments were not based in Görz, but were deployed at this section of the front. The motif on the badges, the Görz Castle, came from this deployment. The gunners could see the building daily. On the contemporary postcard, it is clear that the castle was directly above the city. Therefore the cannon on the 58th Regiment could hardly stand in the place specified on the badge, because it was the city’s main square. The other badge of the 28ers depicts the ruined buildings.