Cliohres.net

Creating Links and Innovative Overviews for a New History Research Agenda for the Citizens of a Growing Europe

Thematic Work Group 5

Frontiers and Identities II

CLIOHRES.net is a largescale research project, supported by the European Commission through the Sixth Framework Programme of its Directorate General for Research as a “Network of Excellence” for European History. It includes 180 researchers (90 staff and 90 doctoral students) from 45 universities in 31 countries. Working together in six thematic work groups, their aim is to achieve greater understanding of both the histories and the representations of the past current in Europe today, highlighting both diversities and connections.

The Consortium Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz, (Austria) Universiteit Gent (Belgium) Sofiyski Universitet „Sveti Kliment Ohridski“ (Bulgaria) Univerzita Karlova v Praze (Czech Republic) Panepistimio Kyprou (Cyprus) Roskilde Universitetscenter (Denmark) Tartu Ülikool (Estonia) Turun Yliopisto (Finland) Université Pierre Mendès-France, Grenoble II (France) Université de Toulouse II - Le Mirail (France) Forschungszentrum Europäische Aufklärung (Germany) University of Aberdeen (Great Britain) Cardiff University (Great Britain) University of Sussex (Great Britain) Ethniko kai Kapodistriako Panepistimio Athinon (Greece) Aristotelio Panepistimio Thessalonikis (Greece) Debreceni Egyetem (Hungary) Miskolci Egyetem (Hungary) Háskóli Íslands (Iceland) National University of Ireland, Galway/ Ollscoil na hĖireann, Gaillimh (Ireland) Università di Bologna (Italy)

Università degli Studi di Milano (Italy) Università degli Studi di Padova (Italy) Università di Pisa (Italy) Latvijas Universitāte, Riga (Latvia) L-Università Ta’ Malta (Malta) Universiteit Utrecht (The Netherlands) Universitetet i Oslo (Norway) Uniwersytet Jagiellonski, Krakow (Poland) Universidade de Coimbra (Portugal) Universidade Aberta (Portugal) Universitatea Babeş Bolyai din Cluj-Napoca (Romania) Universitatea ‘Stefan cel Mare’, Suceava (Romania) Moskowskij Gosudarstvennyj Oblastnoj Universitet (Russian Federation) Univerzitet u Novom Sadu (Serbia) Slovenskej Akademie Vied (Slovakia) Univerza v Mariboru (Slovenia) University of KwaZulu-Natal (South Africa) Universidad de Alcalá de Henares (Spain) Universidad de Deusto (Spain) Universidad Autónoma de Madrid (Spain) Universitat de Valencia (Spain) Universität Basel (Switzerland) Orta Dogu Teknik Üniversitesi (Turkey)

Imagining Frontiers Contesting Identities edited by Steven G. Ellis and Lud’a Klusáková

Imaging frontiers, contesting identities / edited by Steven G. Ellis and Lud’a Klusáková (Frontiers and identities : thematic work group 5 ; 2) 305.8 (21.) 1. Identità 2. Multiculturalismo I. Ellis, Steven G. II. Klusáková, Lud’a CIP a cura del Sistema bibliotecario dell’Università di Pisa

This volume is published thanks to the support of the Directorate General for Research of the European Commission, by the Sixth Framework Network of Excellence CLIOHRES.net under the contract CIT3-CT-2005-00164. The volume is solely the responsibility of the Network and the authors; the European Community cannot be held responsible for its contents or for any use which may be made of it.

Cover: Fernand Leger (1881-1955), Contrast of Forms, painting, Rosengart Collection, Luzern, detail ©1990. Photo Scala Archives, Florence © Copyright 2007 by Edizioni Plus – Pisa University Press Lungarno Pacinotti, 43 56126 Pisa Tel. 050 2212056 – Fax 050 2212945 [email protected] www.edizioniplus.it - Section “Biblioteca” Member of

ISBN 978-88-8492-466-7 Manager Claudia Napolitano Editing Francesca Petrucci, Eleonora Lollini Informatic assistance Massimo Arcidiacono, Michele Gasparello

Contents Preface Ann Katherine Isaacs, Guðmundur Hálfdanarson................................................ pag. IX Introduction: Frontiers and Identities in Context Steven G. Ellis, Lud’a Klusáková.............................................................................. » XIII

Concepts, Methods

and

Approaches

“A European on the Road”: in pursuit of “Connecting Themes” for Frontiers, Borders and Cultural Identities Lud’a Klusáková.......................................................................................................... »

1

Identity Change as a Consequence of the Migration Experience Olga Seweryn............................................................................................................... »

21

Immigration and National Identity: Historiographical Perspectives in France Laure Teulières............................................................................................................. »

43

Civility

and

Savagery

“Sweet Civility and barbarous rudeness”: a View from the Frontier. Abbot Ailred of Rievaulx and the Scots William M. Aird......................................................................................................... »

59

Civilizing the Natives: State Formation and the Tudor Monarchy, c. 1400-1603 Steven G. Ellis.............................................................................................................. »

77

Aristocratic Bandits and Outlaws: Stories of Violence and Blood Vendetta on the Border of the Venetian Republic (16th - 17th Century) Cristina Gioia.............................................................................................................. »

93

Frontiers of Race, Frontiers of Freedom: the Fabrication of the “Negro slave” in Early Modern European Discourse Markéta Křížová.......................................................................................................... » 109

Borders

and

Frontiers

or

State

and

Power

The Ethnic Composition of Medieval Epirus Brendan Osswald........................................................................................................ » 125 Venice-Babylon: Foreigners and Citizens in the Renaissance Period (14th - 16th Centuries) Ludivine-Julie Olard.................................................................................................. » 155

Under Pressure for Change: Nation State Building and Identity Mutations in Modern Romania (1866-1890) Harieta Mareci, Ştefan Purici................................................................................... pag. 175 Integration or Assimilation: Ethno-cultural Frontiers and the (De)Construction of Jewish Identity during the 19th Century in the Romanian Lands Dinu Balan................................................................................................................... » 189 The German-Slovene Language and State Border in Southern Austria: from Nationalist Quarrels to Friendly Co-Existence (19th to 21st Centuries) Martin Moll................................................................................................................. » 205

Contesting Identities

through

Migration

Confessional Exile from Hungary in 17th Century Europe: the Problem of Mental Borders Eva Kowalská............................................................................................................... » 229 Migration and Identity in Early Modern Ireland: the New English and the Pale community Gerald Power............................................................................................................... » 243 From Province to Nation: Immigration in the Dutch Republic in the Late 16th and Early 17th Centuries Raingard Eßer.............................................................................................................. » 263 Gastarbajteri: Rethinking Yugoslav Economic Migrations towards the European North-West through Transnationalism and Popular Culture Ondřej Daniel.............................................................................................................. » 277 From Dynamic to Declining: Mass Emigration from Northern Finland to Sweden, 1960–75 Marianne Junila........................................................................................................... » 303

Images

of Identity

The Irish Paradigm in the 19th Century British Discourse on Bosnia-Herzegovina Neval Berber................................................................................................................ » 319 The Image of Balkan Muslims in Czech and French Journals around 1900 Hana Sobotková.......................................................................................................... » 339 Identities in Conflict: Russian Imperial Responses to Finnish History and Geography Textbooks around 1900 Veronika Sušová.......................................................................................................... » 353

“Let us be like the Finns!” The Image of Finland and the Finns as a Key Element in the Construction of Estonian National Identity Kari Alenius................................................................................................................. » 377 Defining the Enemy: the Profile of the Bourgeoisie in Romanian Communist Textbooks Ioan-Marius Bucur, Crina Capota........................................................................... » 393 Female Tractor Driver, Labour Heroine and Activist: Images of New Socialist Rural Women in the Polish Communist Press (1950-75) Ewelina Szpak.............................................................................................................. » 413 Notes on Contributors.............................................................................................. » 431 Index.............................................................................................................................. » 439

Preface We are pleased to present Imagining Frontiers. Contesting Identities, the second volume produced by the Thematic Work Group 5 of the pan-European Network of Excellence for History and related studies, CLIOHRES.net. The research domain of this Work Group – “Frontiers and Identities” – consists of two major themes in historical studies and in everyday discourse, both of which have significant methodological implications. With this volume the group takes a major step forward, preparing new tools and creating a new common understanding in order to redirect fresh research energies in innovative directions. ‘Frontiers’, with the related concepts and realities of ‘borders’ and ‘limits’, have long been central themes in many national historiographies and key historical narratives. They have been studied from a number of points of view, e.g. those of administrative history, history of the state, nation-building and relations with “the other”, in the many contexts – religious, linguistic, economic, political, ethnic etc. – in which alterity is or can be analysed. New views of frontiers, as places of exchange and communication rather than sharp barriers between diversities, have come to the fore, and no doubt current experience in changing borders and perceptions of them will keep such themes high among the interests of historians and citizens of the European Union. ‘Identity’ is a more recent entry both in the historiographical arena and in common parlance, where we often find it employed in an uncritical way. Faced with the flood of ‘identity’ studies in the 1990s Eric Hobsbawm stated sharply that “Identity History is not enough”. Then as now, ‘identity’ is often used as a multi-purpose label, or a kind of shorthand, for what might otherwise be described as the culture, traditions and self image of individuals or groups. The success of ‘identity’ is probably due to its usefulness in signifying many things for many people. It is also useful because of what it makes obscure. Using the term makes it possible to avoid speaking of such delicate matters as nationality, race or religion, while alluding to them in a general way. Moreover, for individuals and for collectivities the concept of “identity” is reassuring. It suggests that today’s view of the self will be permanent, unchanging – that our present understanding and reference points will not be lost, but remain ‘identical’, even though rationally we know that our self-awareness and the awareness of our past are continuously changing in response to our developing experience, perceptions and needs. Faced with the challenge of developing critical lines of research into such important and perfidious themes, the Work Group has followed an innovative strategy. The first year activities of CLIOHRES.net were devoted to ‘mapping’ the research field, or investigating how each of the six thematic areas of the project is studied in the various national historiographies. The results were published in the first cycle of CLIOHRES volumes. The volume by Thematic Work Group 5 is entitled Frontiers and Identities:



Ann Katherine Isaacs, Guðmundur Hálfdanarson

Exploring the Research Area. Published in 2006 in this series, it too was edited by the leaders of the group, Lud’a Klusáková and Steven G. Ellis. According to the second year work plan, each research group was to identify key questions and concepts suitable for connecting the histories of the various European countries, thus moving towards more integrated research strategies and agendas. Thematic Work Group 5 took a further important step, identifying a number of research themes suitable not only for connecting national historiographies, but also for bringing together and testing the tools and categories currently used in historiography and other human and social sciences, including particularly, but not only, sociology. The volume is divided into sections, each of which comprises a certain number of chapters which combine views of frontiers and identities in new ways. A constant theme is migration, the theme at the centre of the entire Network’s activity this year. Migration is seen as an important heuristic key because it very obviously means crossing frontiers – by definition – and mixing ‘identities’, thus questioning or ‘contesting’ them. Migration acts as a kind of accelerator of changing representations and images, in the cases both of societies and individuals. Other important topics addressed are the use of textbooks to foster a particular understanding of the past and hence of the collective and individual self; the use of the popular press to promote certain interpretations of reality; and the projection of identities onto others: for example because of linguistic kinship (the case of Estonia with respect to Finland); because other societies can be presented as barbarous, savage or backward (Ireland or Bosnia in certain periods in English texts) or ‘foreign’ (the case of the Romanian Jewish population at the time of developing nationalism). The research group is now building on these results to prepare further research on its overarching theme. Its efforts are very useful in developing our overall Network strategy. In CLIOHRES established scholars and doctoral students from over 30 countries, formed in various national traditions, work together on common themes, developing a new historical agenda appropriate for today’s growing Europe. CLIOHRES.net began its work in June 2005, thanks to a five year research contract with the European Commission through the Sixth Framework Programme of its Directorate General for Research, under Priority 7, dealing with “Citizenship”. It is now completing its second year. CLIOHRES.net is an important result of the long term cooperation of a large number of European universities. It is formed by a Consortium of 45 Universities, from 31 countries – mostly European, and including the Russian Federation, Serbia and South Africa. It works closely with the Thematic Network for History, CLIOHnet2 (www.clioh.net), with the Archipelago of the Humanistic Arts and Sciences, a Network of Humanistic Networks (www.archhumannets.net) and with the Tuning Educational Structures in Europe project (www.unideusto.org/tuning). Our activities aim to contribute to the development of innovative approaches to history as regards both the European Research Area and European Higher Education Area. We work for a closer connection between research and learning/teaching as, in our view, this is essential in order to ensure that European citizens possess the necessary



Preface

XI

conceptual tools and more generally the vital critical and self-critical abilities which they will need in the future. We thank the Rector, Prof. Marco Pasquali, the Pro-Rector for European Projects Prof. Paolo Miccoli and the administration of the University of Pisa – in the persons of Drs Vincenzo Tedesco and Cristina Barghini – and the CLIOHRES team: Laura Burgisano, Laura Franciosi, Giuseppe Bagnato and Razvan Adrian Marinescu, webmaster. Their whole-hearted, intelligent and effective support has been essential in every phase of the project. And, most of all, thanks to Thematic Work Group 5, its members and its leaders, for their hard work and for their stimulating and truly interdisciplinary contribution to our common endeavour. Ann Katherine Isaacs University of Pisa Guðmundur Hálfdanarson University of Iceland