Visual symbols of national identity: Slovene bumper stickers and the collective unconscious

During the struggle for international recognition of Slovenia as independent state, common people produced many visual symbols. These symbols functioned as a metaphor for the promotion of Slovene national independence, consistent with Jung's view that a myth consists of symbols which are created on the unconscious level. Many of the proposals for new coat‐of‐arms, flag, money and license plates of cars appeared on the streets and, as a special characteristic of the time, on the backs of cars. In this way the automobile became an advertising billboard of his owner's political opinion. This article exposes and analyses characteristic decorations as unique political graffi. Reading these visual signs monitors the whole story of Slovenia, the story of becoming an independent state, and the nature of the tragic Yugoslav conflict as well.