The temporality of commodified landscapes at events & local constructions of identity in Salzburg

Temporary, event-specific semiotic landscapes in Salzburg contribute significantly to local identity construction through commodified practices. The study finds that linguistic features such as blackletter historicizing and Austro-Bavarian dialect localization index local pride while being leveraged for economic gain during events like the Ruperti fair and Christmas market. These signs exhibit temporary or volatile indexicality, creating distinct semiotic registers tied to specific occasions. A multimodal qualitative analysis reveals how these practices enhance temporary local authentication, offering insights into the temporality of signs in event spaces.

Niehaus, K. (2022). The temporality of commodified landscapes at events & local constructions of identity in Salzburg. Linguistic Landscape, 9(4), 357–386. Portico. https://doi.org/10.1075/ll.22008.nie