Wielokulturowość Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej: doświadczenia przeszłości i wyzwania teraźniejszości
The Multicultural Central-Eastern Europe: Experiences of the Past, Challenges of the Present
Contributor(s): Joanna Getka (Editor), Jerzy Grzybowski (Editor)
Subject(s): History, Anthropology, Social Sciences, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, 16th Century, 17th Century, 18th Century
Published by: Wydawnictwa Uniwersytetu Warszawskiego
Keywords: Central-Eastern Europe; identity; international relations; culture; national consciousness
Summary/Abstract: The monograph is a fruit of research by representatives of a variety of academic disciplines: historians, cultural and literary studies scholars, and linguists studying Central-Eastern Europe. The polydisciplinary and multinational group of authors – scholars from Poland, Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania – is united by their interest in the cultural identity of the region’s nations. The problem of the cultural history and the present of Central-Eastern Europe is presented in two perspectives: one looks at processes of shaping elements of the identity of Central-Eastern European nations, while the other offers highly-focused synchronic analyses of selected cultural phenomena.
Series: Interkulturowość Europy Środkowo-Wschodniej
- E-ISBN-13: 978-83-235-6210-8
- Print-ISBN-13: 978-83-235-6202-3
- Page Count: 292
- Publication Year: 2023
- Language: English, Polish, Ukrainian, Belarusian
Zarys genezy ukraińskiego języka literackiego, czyli o konieczności reinterpretacji rosyjskich mitów glottogonicznych
Zarys genezy ukraińskiego języka literackiego, czyli o konieczności reinterpretacji rosyjskich mitów glottogonicznych
(Outline of the Genesis of Ukrainian Literary Language, or the Necessity to Re-Interpret the Russian Glottogenetic Myths)
- Author(s):Joanna Getka, Viktor Moisiienko
- Language:Polish
- Subject(s):Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, 16th Century, 17th Century, 18th Century
- Page Range:9-41
- No. of Pages:33
- Keywords:literary language; linguistic norm; written transmission; East Slavic languages; redactions of the Church Slavonic language; Ukrainian language; genesis
- Summary/Abstract:The article proposes a new approach to explaining the origins of the literary and written language of the Eastern Slavs on the example of the Ukrainian language. The authors reject theories according to which literary language could only exist if it was codified. Instead, they adopt the thesis about the need for a norm: writers applying repetitive rules, even if they remain unwritten. The norms of the Ukrainian and Belarusian languages have come a long way, but their origins undoubtedly date back to the earliest Ruthenian period. At the same time, the authors postulate not only the idea of the existence of separate Belarusian and Ukrainian languages since the eleventh century, but also separate Ukrainian and Belarusian redactions of the Church Slavonic language in the eleventh to fourteenth century, thus rejecting the politically biased thesis of Russian linguists about the existence of a single redaction of Church Slavonic for all East Slavic languages in the above period. The study and conclusions presented in the article are based on direct re-analysis of original written sources which, according to the authors, are the only reliable sources for interpreting the origins of the linguistic norm. The subject of analysis are original documents whose dating and place of origin have not been discussed by scholars. These include texts created both in written Ruthenian language, which was based on the local speech, and in Church Slavonic. In this context, it should be emphasised that the analysed relics of literature also represent features of the Novgorod-Pskov dialect. This, however, remains beyond the scope of interest of the authors of the article as this dialect did not develop into a separate East Slavic language: the Novgorod tradition was destroyed by the Moscow tradition.
Kult świętych a tożsamość wyznaniowa – zmiany w aparacie liturgicznym wschodniosłowiańskich cyrylickich starych druków liturgicznych Ewangelii tetr (na przykładzie wydań Ławry Poczajowskiej)
Kult świętych a tożsamość wyznaniowa – zmiany w aparacie liturgicznym wschodniosłowiańskich cyrylickich starych druków liturgicznych Ewangelii tetr (na przykładzie wydań Ławry Poczajowskiej)
(The Commemoration of Saints and Confessional Identity – Changes in the Liturgical Rubrics of Early Printed East Slavonic Cyrillic Liturgical Tetraevangelia (Case of the Pochaiv Lavra Editions))
- Author(s):Jerzy Ostapczuk
- Language:Polish
- Subject(s):Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, 16th Century, 17th Century, 18th Century
- Page Range:42-67
- No. of Pages:26
- Keywords:Tetraevangelion; Pochaiv; Menologion; saints; feasts; Greek Catholic Church; Uniate Church
- Summary/Abstract:The publication is devoted to an analysis of the theme of saints and feasts in the Menologia of the five Uniate liturgical Tetraevangelia published in the Cyrillic alphabet in Pochaiv in 1759, 1768, 1771, and twice in 1780. The comparative analysis of the Menologia in all 110 editions has indicated that the first Uniate liturgical Tetraevangelion issued in 1759 in Pochaiv was prepared on the basis of the 1746 Kiev Gospel edition. For the liturgical needs of the Greek Catholic Church, a total of 113 commemorations were removed from its Menologion, including: 118 saints, six feasts dedicated to icons of the Mother of God, and three commemorations of Church events. The annual fixed calendar in the Uniate Tetraevangelia was supplemented only by the commemoration of Josaphat Kuntsevich (16 September).
Фарміраванне ідэнтычнасці беларускіх нацыянальных дзеячаў у 1890-х гг. – пачатку ХХ ст.: ад польскай да беларускай самасвядомасці
Фарміраванне ідэнтычнасці беларускіх нацыянальных дзеячаў у 1890-х гг. – пачатку ХХ ст.: ад польскай да беларускай самасвядомасці
(The Construction of the Identity of Belarusian National Activists from the 1890s until the Beginning of the Twentieth Century: From Polish to Belarusian Identity)
- Author(s):Viktar Korbut
- Language:Belarusian
- Subject(s):Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, 16th Century, 17th Century, 18th Century
- Page Range:68-90
- No. of Pages:23
- Keywords:Belarus; Poland; Lithuania; Belarusians; Poles; identity; language
- Summary/Abstract:The turn of the twentieth century saw the formation of the identity of key figures of the Belarusian national movement (Antoni/Anton and Jan/Ivan Łuckiewicz/Luckievič, Jan/Ivan Lucevič [Januk (Janka) Kupała], etc.). Natives of the Polish cultural and linguistic environment in Belarus, they came to embrace their Belarusian identity and switched to the Belarusian language in the process of aligning themselves with the Belarusian peasants and their language and concomitantly placing themselves in opposition to the erstwhile Polish and Russian elites. The formation of the identity of the first Belarusian figures was partially influenced by nineteenth-century Polish writers who wrote in the Belarusian language as well as certain figures of the Lithuanian national movement.
Українізаційна діяльність архиєпископа Холмського і Підляського Іларіона Огієнка (1940–1944)
Українізаційна діяльність архиєпископа Холмського і Підляського Іларіона Огієнка (1940–1944)
(The Ukrainianisation Efforts of Archbishop Ilarion of Kholm and Podlachia, 1940–1944)
- Author(s):Andrij Smyrnov
- Language:Ukrainian
- Subject(s):Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, 16th Century, 17th Century, 18th Century
- Page Range:91-103
- No. of Pages:13
- Keywords:Orthodox Church; Ilarion Ohiienko; occupation; Kholm; eparchy; parish
- Summary/Abstract:The article deals with the development of the Kholm and Podlachia Orthodox Eparchy during the Nazi occupation of Poland. The Kholm region became a major centre of Ukrainian Orthodoxy, the Kholm Cathedral was returned to Orthodox Ukrainians, and many religious publications were issued in Ukrainian in the region. The Kholm and Podlachia Eparchy was re-established (with Ilarion Ohiienko as bishop) and Ukrainianised. The Kholm church programme of Archbishop Ilarion Ohiienko, which included balanced use of the Ukrainian language in religious services, building a parish network, and training a group of nationally conscious clergy, aimed to establish an autocephalous Ukrainian Orthodox Church with a patriarchal system in the territories occupied by the Nazis. To activate the national ecclesiastic life, Archbishop Ilarion founded a printing house, a publishing house, a bookstore, a library, a museum, the eparchial storage of church items, and a charitable association. The German police allowed the establishment of a theological seminary that aimed to educate a nationally conscious clergy. In 1944, Ilarion Ohiienko was elevated to the rank of metropolitan by the Council of Bishops. The Kholm Eparchy was eventually abolished when the region became part of Poland after the Second World War.
Стварэнне і дзейнасць Беларускага аб’яднання ў Беластоцкай акрузе (1941–1944 гг.)
Стварэнне і дзейнасць Беларускага аб’яднання ў Беластоцкай акрузе (1941–1944 гг.)
(Creation and Activity of the Belarusian Association in Bezirk Bialystok (1941–1944))
- Author(s):Jerzy Grzybowski
- Language:Belarusian
- Subject(s):Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, 16th Century, 17th Century, 18th Century
- Page Range:104-135
- No. of Pages:32
- Keywords:World War II; German occupation; Bialystok region; Belarusian; Belarusian Association
- Summary/Abstract:In 1941–1944, Bialystok was under German occupation. The occupiers tried to exploit the national antagonisms that existed in the region. To this end, they were willing to grant certain concessions in the field of culture and education to Belarusians. This was borne out by the formation of the Belarusian Association, which brought together in its ranks the most socially active members of the Belarusian society. The organisation carried out social, cultural, and educational activities which its leaders intended to contribute to the national emancipation of Belarusians. The occupation authorities, on the other hand, saw the organisation as a tool for pro-German propaganda and suppressing anti-German sentiments among the local population.
Русіфікацыя адукацыйна-інфармацыйнай прасторы Беларускай ССР у перыяд «адлігі» (1953–1968 гг.)
Русіфікацыя адукацыйна-інфармацыйнай прасторы Беларускай ССР у перыяд «адлігі» (1953–1968 гг.)
(Russification of the Educational and Information Space in Soviet Belarus in the Period of the ‘Thaw’ (1953–1968))
- Author(s):Alexander Huzhalouski
- Language:Belarusian
- Subject(s):Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, 16th Century, 17th Century, 18th Century
- Page Range:136-151
- No. of Pages:16
- Keywords:Russification; Thaw; national education; book publishing; mass media; intellectuals; communist party and state officials
- Summary/Abstract:The article considers the specifics and mechanism of the Russification of the educational and information space in Soviet Belarus during Khrushchev’s ‘Thaw’. Analysed in the paper is the socio-political context of communist society construction in the Soviet Union which provoked the accelerated ghettoisation of the Belarusian language, as well as the attempts of intellectuals to slow this process down. The construction of the Belarusian national discourse of the era was the result of initiatives taken by the humanist intelligentsia and expressed on the pages of local press. Not all such initiatives met with the support of party leadership of the republic, which spent the lion’s share of its workpower and funds on the construction of a global state where all nationalities and social classes would disappear. However, the sprouting Belarusian ethno-cultural nationalism of the 1950s and 1960s not only developed a vision of language as the embodiment of ethnic uniqueness, but also became the foundation for the implementation of the Belarusian national political project at the turn of the 1990s.
Czeska refleksja na temat Rosji od odrodzenia narodowego do wojny rosyjsko-ukraińskiej w 2022 r. – zarys problemu
Czeska refleksja na temat Rosji od odrodzenia narodowego do wojny rosyjsko-ukraińskiej w 2022 r. – zarys problemu
(Czech Political Thought on Russia from the National Revival to the Russian–Ukrainian War of 2022 – General Outline)
- Author(s):Grzegorz Gąsior
- Language:Polish
- Subject(s):Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, 16th Century, 17th Century, 18th Century
- Page Range:152-174
- No. of Pages:23
- Keywords:Czech–Russian relations; Russia; political thought; Russophilia; Slavophilia
- Summary/Abstract:The Russian aggression on Ukraine on 24 February 2022 was a turning point in the perception of Russia in many countries, including the Czech Republic. The main political circles in the country condemned this act of violation of international law. According to an opinion poll, warm feelings towards Russia among Czechs have rapidly declined, and at the same time self-identification with the European Union and NATO has increased. Before that, however, the affinity for Russia had a long tradition going back to the National Revival in the beginnings of the nineteenth century. The article depicts the development of Czech political thought during the last 200 years. It has been marked by seeking an ally during the disputes in the Habsburg monarchy before 1918 and by such historical events as the Munich Conference of 1938, the country’s liberation by the Red Army in 1945, the communist coup of 1948, the intervention of the Warsaw Pact forces in 1968, and the fall of the communist regime in 1989.
Intellectuals and Politics at the Turn of the 20th Century. A Czech Example
Intellectuals and Politics at the Turn of the 20th Century. A Czech Example
(Intellectuals and Politics at the Turn of the 20th Century. A Czech Example)
- Author(s):Vratislav Doubek
- Language:English
- Subject(s):Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, 16th Century, 17th Century, 18th Century
- Page Range:175-186
- No. of Pages:12
- Keywords:T.G. Masaryk; J.S. Machar; Czech history; political parties; intellectual history; turn of the twentieth century
- Summary/Abstract:Using the example of two Czech intellectuals, the philosopher Tomáš G. Masaryk and the writer Josef S. Machar, the study approaches the process of the struggle for influence in the public space. In the middle of the nineteeth century, the intellectual was a very influential representative of the newly emerging middle-class liberal elites. He formulated their ideological bases and represented their political interests. Over time, party structures began to form and consolidate, with individualistic “independent” intellectuals replaced by disciplined career party members. The end of the nineteenth century, in the broader context of modernity, also brought a final clash between intellectuals and professional politicians, or more precisely between the advocates of independence and the followers of structured (party) authority. In the long term, the intellectuals were eventually forced to succumb in this confrontation, but certain engaged individuals still managed to achieve partial successes.
Татарская мусульманская супольнасць Гарадзеншчыны па матэрыялах Рэвізіі татарскіх маёнткаў 1631 года, праведзенай Янам Кердзеем
Татарская мусульманская супольнасць Гарадзеншчыны па матэрыялах Рэвізіі татарскіх маёнткаў 1631 года, праведзенай Янам Кердзеем
(The Tatar Muslim Community in the Grodno Region according to the Documentation from the Audit of Tatar Estates of 1631 Carried out by Jan Kierdej)
- Author(s):Aliona Liubaya
- Language:Belarusian
- Subject(s):Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, 16th Century, 17th Century, 18th Century
- Page Range:187-198
- No. of Pages:12
- Keywords:Tatar community; Grodno Region; Tatar landownership; Uhlan Tatar unit; Islam; Muslims in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania
- Summary/Abstract:The Audit of Tatar Estates was carried out by field scribe of the Grodno Region Jarosz Piasecki and Oshmyany scribe Jan Kierdej under a decree of King Sigismund III Vasa and in line with the Constitutions of the General Sejm of 1625 to 1631. It is an indispensable source of knowlege on the social and economic situation among the social group of the socalled Tatar “hospodars” (in the area of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania), who remained in land military service. The Tatars, who in the area of Grodno lived mainly in two villages alongside the Lasosna River, in Svyatsk, and in the villages of Demidkovo and Mikelevshchina, provided horses to the army under two banners: the Uhlan unit of the Grodno Banner and the Uyshun unit of the Troki [Trakai] Banner. The details of individual entries in the books from the Audit of Tatar Estates allow us to trace the evolution of land ownership of the Tatars, as well as to track the demographic changes in the Tatar community of the Grodno Region and the transformation of its socio-economic situation as a whole.
Ile tożsamości może reprezentować jeden obraz pamięci zbiorowej – analiza jednego przypadku w międzywojennej Polsce i Litwie
Ile tożsamości może reprezentować jeden obraz pamięci zbiorowej – analiza jednego przypadku w międzywojennej Polsce i Litwie
(How Many Identities Can One Image of Collective Memory Represent – an Analysis of a Case from Interwar Poland and Lithuania)
- Author(s):Dangiras Mačiulis
- Language:Polish
- Subject(s):Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, 16th Century, 17th Century, 18th Century
- Page Range:199-216
- No. of Pages:18
- Keywords:collective identity; collective memory; nationalism; Samogitia; Kražiai massacre
- Summary/Abstract:In the nineteenth century, the Russian Empire held power in Lithuania and spread the Orthodox faith, building Orthodox Christian churches and closing down Catholic ones. The year 1893 had the greatest impact in the Diocese of Samogitia, where Catholics put up resistance to the tsarist government’s attempt to close the church in Kražiai. The protestors were extremely brutally suppressed, due to which the events came to be called the Kražiai massacre. This episode in the history of the interwar period became an important image in the collective memory of Lithuanians and Poles. The article analyses how the imagery of the Kražiai massacre was used to represent different identities. It is argued that in the Second Polish Republic, the Kražiai massacre was presented as a proof of the heroism demonstrated by the Polish people in defending their religious and national identity. The image painted in this way represented the ideology of the Krajowcy movement. In interwar Lithuania, the dominant view was that the Kražiai massacre was a story of Lithuanians defending their religious and national identity; in addition, it was emphasised that it was an element of collective memory that belonged exclusively to Lithuanians. At the same time, the massacre was also used by those who wanted to highlight the identity of one of the sub-ethnicities of the Lithuanian nation – Samogitia.
Беларускія студэнты ва Універсітэце Стэфана Баторыя ў Вільні: уплыў універсітэта на нацыянальную тоеснасць студэнта
Беларускія студэнты ва Універсітэце Стэфана Баторыя ў Вільні: уплыў універсітэта на нацыянальную тоеснасць студэнта
(Belarusian Students at the Stefan Batory University: The Impact of the University on the National Identity of the Student)
- Author(s):Andrej Mastyka
- Language:Belarusian
- Subject(s):Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, 16th Century, 17th Century, 18th Century
- Page Range:217-233
- No. of Pages:17
- Keywords:Belarusian Students’ Union; Stefan Batory University; Western Belarus; higher education in interwar Poland; national minorities in interwar Poland
- Summary/Abstract:The article discusses the features of the national consciousness of Belarusian students at the Stefan Batory University, its forms and transformations. The main domains through which the university could influence the students’ public awareness are analysed: the SBU policy towards student national minorities; the development and coordination of various forms of minority communities’ organisation and their activities; educational and research work aimed at the promotion and support of certain national and cultural views, studies of local history, ethnography, languages, etc. The SBU’s administration attempted to create a consolidating platform based on regional principles and ideas of Occidentalism (Westernism) which would then be a springboard for various cultural, academic, and educational initiatives of minorities.
«Масты сяброўства»: Беларускае таварыства культурнай сувязі з заграніцай у культурным дыялогу з Польскай Народнай Рэспублікай
«Масты сяброўства»: Беларускае таварыства культурнай сувязі з заграніцай у культурным дыялогу з Польскай Народнай Рэспублікай
(The “Bridge of Friendship” Belarusian Society for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries in the Cultural Dialogue with the Polish People’s Republic)
- Author(s):Anatol Vialiki
- Language:Belarusian
- Subject(s):Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, 16th Century, 17th Century, 18th Century
- Page Range:234-252
- No. of Pages:19
- Keywords:cultural cooperation; Days of Belarus; Society for Cultural Relations; literature; art; Belarus; Poland
- Summary/Abstract:The mid-1950s marked the beginning of the cooperation between Poland and Belarus in the field of culture. A significant role in this interaction was played by the Belarusian Society for Cultural Relations with Foreign Countries, which coordinated and organised the joint activities. Among the effects of the cooperation were the Days of Culture, meetings of cultural figures from Poland and Belarus, concerts, meetings with writers and poets, celebrations of anniversary events dedicated to famous cultural figures, translations of literary works by writers and poets from both countries.
Projekty edukacyjno-naukowe w przezwyciężeniu kryzysu demokracji na wschodnim pograniczu Unii Europejskiej (rekonesans problemu)
Projekty edukacyjno-naukowe w przezwyciężeniu kryzysu demokracji na wschodnim pograniczu Unii Europejskiej (rekonesans problemu)
(Educational and Scholarly Projects in Overcoming the Democratic Crisis on the East Border of the European Union (Preliminary Analysis))
- Author(s):Antoni Mironowicz
- Language:Polish
- Subject(s):Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, 16th Century, 17th Century, 18th Century
- Page Range:253-259
- No. of Pages:7
- Keywords:democratic crisis; eastern border of the European Union
- Summary/Abstract:The political and institutional changes made in Europe in the last decade of the twentieth century and in the early twenty-first century as well as the effects of the democratic crisis are making it necessary to formulate a new educational and scholarly research policy. The Polish–Belarusian, Polish–Ukrainian, and Polish–Russian borders have become the eastern boundaries of the European Union. The processes occurring in this area go beyond the framework of EU transboundary regulatory policy. The development of Eastern Europe depends on legal and constitutional conditions and the degree of development of democratic institutions and civil society on both sides of the border. Politicians often forget that the image of the European Economic Area also depends on the level of this region’s economic development. By defining these development factors, it is possible to design projects aimed at broadening cooperation in the domain of economy and promoting European values. The analysis of the political, social, economic, and cultural processes in Eastern Europe and the role played by the borderlands of the European Union in popularizing European values in neighboring countries should help overcome the effects of the economic crisis. One of the elements in the fight against the recession may be educational and scholarly projects which contribute to the understanding of the socio-economic reality of our eastern border. Polish universities can become the executors of large-scale academic and research programmes developed by the EU and addressed to the countries of Eastern Europe, in particular Belarus and Ukraine. One of the goals of such projects should be the foundation of transboundary scientific centres. The most important and immediate matter is the establishment of Institutes of the East and their transformation from having a limited scope to becoming the leading centres in the areas east of Poland, assembling high-class specialists from many research fields. Such institutes would be involved in educating high-class specialists and would be responsible for developing a new field of study – Eastern Studies.
Rola euroregionów i mniejszości narodowych w rozwoju dialogu kultur w Europie Środkowej w latach 1991–2020 na wybranych przykładach prowadzonej przez Czechy dyplomacji kulturalnej
Rola euroregionów i mniejszości narodowych w rozwoju dialogu kultur w Europie Środkowej w latach 1991–2020 na wybranych przykładach prowadzonej przez Czechy dyplomacji kulturalnej
(The Role of Euroregions and National Minorities in the Development of Cultural Dialogue in Central Europe in 1991–2020 on Selected Examples of Czech Cultural Diplomacy)
- Author(s):Alicja Szumowiecka
- Language:Polish
- Subject(s):Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, 16th Century, 17th Century, 18th Century
- Page Range:260-280
- No. of Pages:21
- Keywords:cultural diplomacy; cultural politics; Central Europe; Czech Republic; Visegrad’s Group; Euroregions; Czech national minority; borderland; Czech–Polish relations; Czech–Slovak relations
- Summary/Abstract:The article discusses the role of Euroregions and national minorities in the development of dialogue between cultures. It is analysed on the example of selected activities forming part of Czech cultural diplomacy in Central Europe in the years 1991–2020. The principal source materials used in the research are, among others, chronicles, excerpts from the press, and websites of the organisers of long-lasting festivals held by the Glacensis Euroregion and the Czech minority in the Czech–Polish and Czech–Slovak borderlands. The analysis also encompasses the activities of the Bílé Karpaty Euroregion uniting associations from Czechia, Slovakia, and Poland. The study has revealed the intensity of mutual contacts between the nations and the themes which were of particular interest to the respective societies over the years. The results of the analysis indicate that Euroregions and the diaspora play an important role in building cultural dialogue, and that Central European nations are eager to participate in it.
Rumunia w poszukiwaniu miejsca
Rumunia w poszukiwaniu miejsca
(Romania in Search of Its Place)
- Author(s):Ivan Zhyhal
- Language:Polish
- Subject(s):Anthropology, Cultural Anthropology / Ethnology, 16th Century, 17th Century, 18th Century
- Page Range:281-291
- No. of Pages:11
- Keywords:Romania; intellectuals; Eastern Europe; 1989; symbolic geography
- Summary/Abstract:The article is devoted to the issue of Romanian identity and the symbolic geography of Romania after 1989. Considering Europe as a figure of imagination and a semantically loaded concept which became the starting point for all other histories, the author refers to Eastern and Central Europe as concepts generated by the European gaze. If Eastern Europe was generated by the Western need to invent almost a doppelganger to maintain its own identity, then in turn the East European inferiority complex, combined with the transition of much of Eastern Europe to Soviet control in 1945, led to the idea of Central Europe, designed to free itself from Soviet influence and emphasise its belonging to the West. The fall of the communist regime in Romania in 1989 entailed the need for local intellectuals to rewrite Romanian symbolic geography in a way that would put the country in its proper place on the European map. To this aim, Romanian intellectuals have proposed a number of intellectual models aimed at emphasising Romanian Europeanness, primarily referring to the idea of Central Europe.