Cultural Identity Politics in the (Post-)Transitional Societies
Cultural Identity Politics in the (Post-)Transitional Societies
Cultural Identity Politics in the (Post-)Transitional Societies
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<strong>Identity</strong> construction <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Balkan region - Austrian <strong>in</strong>terests<br />
and <strong>in</strong>volvement <strong>in</strong> a historical perspective<br />
Andrea Komlosy and Hannes Hofbauer<br />
Abstract<br />
After <strong>the</strong> dissolution and destruction of Yugoslavia with its historical cut-off po<strong>in</strong>t of 1991<br />
and <strong>the</strong> successive wars throughout <strong>the</strong> 1990 s , new identities are be<strong>in</strong>g sought <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> region.<br />
Like every cultural and social process this identity construction is exposed to economic and<br />
(geo) political rationalities and pressures. They come from <strong>in</strong>side as well as from outside. In<br />
a historical perspective this can be seen clearer than from a contemporary view.<br />
Already <strong>the</strong> nam<strong>in</strong>g of <strong>the</strong> region reflects <strong>the</strong> <strong>in</strong>teraction of <strong>in</strong>ternal and external<br />
factors <strong>in</strong> a (post)transitional situation. Therefore at <strong>the</strong> beg<strong>in</strong>n<strong>in</strong>g we discuss <strong>the</strong> terms<br />
“Balkan” and “Sou<strong>the</strong>astern Europe”.<br />
The Austrian advance <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> region went hand <strong>in</strong> hand with <strong>the</strong> step-by-step withdrawal<br />
of <strong>the</strong> Ottoman Empire. The late 19th century with <strong>the</strong> Berl<strong>in</strong> Congress (1878) and <strong>the</strong><br />
end of <strong>the</strong> adm<strong>in</strong>istrative particularity of <strong>the</strong> Vojna Kraj<strong>in</strong>a (1881) mark a new period.<br />
We study <strong>the</strong> history of Austrian <strong>in</strong>terests <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> Balkans s<strong>in</strong>ce <strong>the</strong>n. The Vidovdan of<br />
1914 and its geopolitical outcome put an end to Vienna’s advances, at least for a while.<br />
In 1941 <strong>the</strong> Austrians came aga<strong>in</strong>, this time <strong>in</strong> German uniforms help<strong>in</strong>g to divide <strong>the</strong><br />
region <strong>in</strong>to sections accord<strong>in</strong>g to <strong>the</strong> needs of <strong>the</strong> “Grossraum”. Fifty years later (1991),<br />
after <strong>the</strong> remnants of post-Tito Yugoslavia fell apart, it was Austrian politics and economic<br />
<strong>in</strong>terests which heavily <strong>in</strong>tervened <strong>in</strong> <strong>the</strong> region, <strong>the</strong>reby accelerat<strong>in</strong>g <strong>the</strong> dis<strong>in</strong>tegration.<br />
We discuss <strong>the</strong> background, personalities and importance of this development.<br />
Keywords: Balkan region, Austria, identity construction, historical representations<br />
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