The Origins, Development, and Characteristics of Central and Eastern European Diasporas
The Origins, Development, and Characteristics of Central and Eastern European Diasporas

Summary/Abstract: The article examines the question of what shapes the process of creating diasporas in Central and Eastern Europe (CEE). It argues that a comprehensive understanding of the origins, development, and contemporary characteristics of CEE diasporas requires consideration of the region’s distinctive historical experience, characterised by a history of multiethnic empires, border changes, wars, authoritarian regimes, and recurrent waves of both forced and voluntary migration. Drawing on the conceptual framework proposed by Rogers Brubaker, it highlights the internal diversity of CEE diasporas. The distinction between classic emigrant diasporas and ‘accidental’ diasporas, which are formed as a result of border changes rather than physical migration, serves to emphasise the significance of kin-minorities residing in neighbouring states in conjunction with emigrant communities situated abroad. The article identifies four critical historical moments – the collapse of multiethnic empires, post-World War I and II border changes, the communist period and the Iron Curtain, and post-2004 European integration – as key determinants shaping the specificity of Central and Eastern European diasporas.

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