The Balkan image of the Hungarians

Abstract

The Hungarians have had a strong relationship with the inhabitants of the Balkans since the conquest of the Carpathian basin. This proximity gave them knowledge of the region based on their own experiences. However, the history of the past centuries has led to a situation where the image of the Balkans in the eyes of Hungarians is now characterised by stereotypes. We see both an underdeveloped, grotesque Balkan world and an over-romanticised, colourful Mediterranean world. The Balkans are an integral part of Hungarian history and collective memory, bearing the imprint of the anti-Ottoman wars and the self-image of Hungary as a defender of Europe against Muslim invaders from the Balkans. The memory of the Yugoslav war is also vivid, which makes us see the Balkans as a powder keg of Europe. In addition to this, mass tourism has made it possible for many more Hungarians to have personal experience of the Balkans, thus creating a real, experience-based image of the Balkans in their minds. In our study we want to explore how the part of Hungarian society that is open to the region perceives the Balkans, what they use to build their image of the Balkans and what social-psychological processes they use to do so.