Nation-Building and Symbolic Politics in Central and Eastern Europe in the Long Twentieth Century : Our Flags, Our Heroes, Our Words

This book offers explanations about how such emotions are triggered and acted upon in one of the hotspots of current geopolitical change, Central and Eastern Europe. Central and Eastern Europe is far from a grey colour and indistinct shades. Moreover, it has come back to center stage today when a new geopolitical pattern is emerging. The authors of this volume deal with this colourful area in a relatively broad sense: they cover five countries – Slovakia, Poland, Romania, the Republic of Moldova and Ukraine. In the middle of the region, Hungary is also touched on in many of the papers. The authors focus on the struggle for control over space that reflects the complex, often conflictual and contradictory relationship between centres of power and minority communities. Symbolic nationalism practiced in urban spaces produce key events and key sites in these conflicts. The rivalry between national movements, whether it is through or for the various national symbols, takes many forms. This rivalry has been going on for more than two centuries and is likely to continue for some time. This work delves into the recent history of symbolic control over space in the region.