Od otroctví k soužití: terminologická tápání v bulharské reflexi osmanské minulosti
From Slavery to Coexistence: Terminological Fumbling in Bulgaria’s Reflection of Its Ottoman Past

Summary/Abstract: Within discussions of the history of the Balkan nations, their Ottoman past is a period whose interpretation is characterized by a strong ethnocentric enthusiasm. The terminology that each national community traditionally uses to identify this epoch, also attests to their highly emotional evaluations. The natural linking of a particular concept with a nation’s ideology is most evident in Bulgaria, where the traditional terms “Turkish slavery” and “Turkish yoke” persist in the social discourse. This terminology comes into opposition with the neutral concepts of Ottoman dominion or administration, which are used in serious historiography. Discussions of the essence of the Ottoman period in Bulgarian history thus confirm that it is still a living component of the national narrative. The confrontation between the above-mentioned interpretative models, which also appear in school curricula and textbooks, likewise provides evidence of this effect. This study specifically analyzes the spectrum of socio-cultural reflections of the Ottoman past in the context of the latest national curriculum. Within this framework, the Bulgarian Ministry of Education proposed in early 2016 the politically correct term “coexistence” of Bulgarians with Ottoman Turks. It can be said that these discussions have reopened the question of what to actually call the Ottoman period of Bulgarian history.

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