Region, Regional Identity and Regionalism in Southeastern Europe

The contributions to this second volume focus equally on tangible and intangible dimensions of Southeast European regions. They represent the region both as a territorial unit and as a mental construct laden with symbolic meaning. The papers demonstrate that regions, be it the entire Balkan Peninsula or be it a small area somewhere in the mountains, can become palpable, visible, and audible. They can produce culture and they can, at the same time, be products of culture: regions can be constructs of those who inhabit them - or of spatial planning from "above". In any case, both the physical and the symbolic regions are a very relevant issue in Southeast Europe, serving purposes of spatial, ethnic, religious or even professional identification, or of politically motivated border-drawing.