Trends in the Formation of Regional and Trans-border Identities and the “New Neighbours”. Experiences from Czech Republic, Slovakia and Austria
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.34767/TH.2023.13.09Keywords:
migration, immigration, regional identity, ”new neighbour”, cultural and ethnical mixed areas, Central EuropeAbstract
Trends in the formation of regional and trans-border identities and “new neighbours”. Experience from Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Austria. The changes in the identities of the residents of Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Austria and the identities of minorities in these countries show that Karl Renner’s analyses, which are more than one hundred years old, continue to exist as lessons and warnings. Statistical results from censuses conducted in Czech Republic and Slovakia in 2021 are surprising when compared with previous long-term trends. The changes touch the mentality and identity of people in monitored area (as well as in wider Central Europe). Migration accompanied by the formation of ethnically and culturally mixed regions, mixed marriages, etc. was intensive already at the beginning of the 20th century. In Czech Republic and Slovakia, it intensified after the fall of the Iron Curtain and even more so after joining the EU. The migration at the core of Central Europe is represented both by significant internal migration and immigration from abroad. New, usually open local societies are formed and there is a strong impact on the attitude of people. The sense of belonging to several varied societies, i.e. multidimensional identity, becomes normal. The experience from Austria shows what will happen in Czechiain ten years and in Slovakia some time later. The migration is not uniform, therefore its consequences lack uniformity, as well. There are still extremely closed microregions in Czechia and Slovakia. On the other hand, big cities and their metropolitan areas already function as ethnically mixed, open, interculturally integrated societies. Religion, which used to form a frequent and strong barrier against the integration of “new neighbours”, is moving from the public to the purely personal space. This is accompanied by massive exodus of members from traditional churches. At the same time, the experience shows that both multiculturalism and forceful assimilation are dangerous and nonsensical. The solutionlies only in intercultural integration and multilingualism.
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