Petra Svoljšak is a researcher at the Milko Kos Historical Institute of ZRC SAZU, where she focuses on the history of the First World War, cultural-memorial landscapes, and the socio-political history of the 19th and 20th centuries. She earned her PhD in historical sciences from the Faculty of Arts at the University of Ljubljana. Her work deeply examines occupations, violence against civilian populations, refugee experiences, non-combatant groups such as women, children, and the elderly, war victims, invalids, and veterans, as well as remembrance and heritage—like the Walk of Peace—using an interdisciplinary and comparative European approach. As the leader of projects and director of the postgraduate program in Cultural History at the University of Nova Gorica, she actively disseminates knowledge and builds research networks.
Petra Svoljšak's main research area is the history of the First World War and its cultural-historical context, more broadly encompassing the socio-political history of the 19th and 20th centuries, with an emphasis on the Slovenian Soča battlefield in comparison to European experiences. She focuses on key issues such as the dynamics of occupations, violence against civilian populations, refugee flight, the position of non-combatant groups (women, children, the elderly), the fates of war invalids, veterans, and victims, the formation of memorial landscapes, and the social history of war.
In her research, she employs interdisciplinary and comparative methods, including analysis of primary sources, cultural-demographic studies, inventorying of cultural heritage, and participatory approaches in national and European research groups.
Among her major achievements are leading projects such as "Remaking Memory – Propaganda and Commemoration in WWI" (applied project), "Cultural Demography of the First World War," "Women and the First World War," "Refugees – An Never-Ending Story," INTERREG "NETWORLD" and "WALKofPEACE: Sustainable Development of WWI Heritage between the Alps and the Adriatic," as well as collaborations in ZRC SAZU programs like Basic Research into Slovenian Cultural History. These have established networks with the Military Museum, the Ministry of Defence, and European partners, and supported the cataloguing of memorial objects.
Her future research goals include in-depth studies of post-imperial transitions, digital preservation of the Walk of Peace heritage, and European comparisons of war victims.
- Slovenski begunci v Italiji med prvo svetovno vojno, Petra Svoljšak. 1991
- Slovenski begunci v Italiji med prvo svetovno vojno, Petra Svoljšak. 1991
- Prva svetovna vojna in Slovenci : 1. del, Petra Svoljšak. 1993
- Prva svetovna vojna in Slovenci : II.1945-1992, Petra Svoljšak. 1993
- V vrtincu oktobrske revolucije, Petra Svoljšak. 1994
- Prva svetovna vojna v slovenskem zgodovinskem spominu. Del 1, Petra Svoljšak. 1994
- Prva svetovna vojna v slovenskem zgodovinskem spominu. Del 2, Petra Svoljšak. 1995
- Neodvisna kočevska republika, Petra Svoljšak. 1995
- Dr. Alojzij Res v prvi svetovni vojni. Resovo vojno dopisništvo, Petra Svoljšak. 1996
- Prva svetovna vojna v slovenskem zgodovinskem spominu. Del 3, Petra Svoljšak. 1996
- La prima guerra mondiale e le sue ripercussioni sul margine occidentale dell'area alpina slovena, Petra Svoljšak
- L' occupazione italiana dell'Isontino dal maggio 1915 all'ottobre 1915 all'ottobre 1917 e gli sloveni, Petra Svoljšak. 1998
- Priprave na leto 1918 : nekateri vidiki italijanske uprave zasedenih slovenskih ozemelj med prvo svetovno vojno, Petra Svoljšak. 1999
- Od strateških načrtov do raznarodovalne politike italijanskega okupanta na zasedenih slovenskih ozemljih med prvo svetovno vojno, Petra Svoljšak. 1999
- Fronta na Soči, Petra Svoljšak. 2004
- Slovensko begunsko šolstvo med prvo svetovno vojno, Petra Svoljšak. 2004
- Nekaj utrinkov iz delovanja veteranske organizacije Zveza bojevnikov : "Organizacija Bojevnikov je trdna in močna, je zveza src in duš. Je temelj prijateljstva in ljubezni med narodi", Petra Svoljšak. 2006
- Kdaj bomo posvojili prvo svetovno vojno?, Petra Svoljšak. 2007
- Čigava ali komu soška fronta : slovensko-hrvaški stiki med prvo svetovno vojno v luči obrambe zahodne slovenske narodne meje, Petra Svoljšak. 2008
- The social history of the Soča/Isonzo region in the First World War, Petra Svoljšak. 2009
- Slovensko ozemlje med italijanskimi strateškimi načrti in italijansko zasedbo v času prve svetovne vojne, Petra Svoljšak. 2006
- Vélika vojna in Slovenci, Petra Svoljšak. 2009
- First World War: a historical memory and an admonishment (research project • January 1, 2013 - December 31, 2014)
- Cultural demography of world war one (fundamental research project • May 1, 2009 - April 30, 2012)
- Basic research of Slovene cultural past 2015-2020 (research programme • January 1, 2015 - December 31, 2021)
- Refugees - a never ending story (fundamental research project • May 1, 2017 - April 30, 2020)
- ZRC SAZU Silver Emblem 1998 for doctoral thesil.
- Klio Award of the Historical Association of Slovenia
- Award of the Knight's Cross of the Hungarian Order of Merit "in recognition of her efforts in developing Hungarian-Slovenian scientific and cultural ties, as well as organizing commemorative ceremonies for the centenary of the First World War."
- Head of the Institute of Contemporary History steering committee
- Member of the Walk of Peace Foundation steering committee