Reinventing Banat

Article is part of a special issue, 'Region, State and Identity in Central and Eastern Europe'.

Journal abstract:

Banat, a region in south-west Romania, has reclaimed its identity by emphasizing a 'multi-cultural tradition' at odds with the prevailing nationalist discourse in Romanian politics. The complex history of the region led to the immigration of an extraordinary mosaic of ethnic groups, but ethnic diversity was much reduced in the course of the twentieth century. It is notable that the Romanians, the overwhelming majority in the region today, seem as committed as the minorities to this myth, which provides a vehicle for expressing frustrations with the centralization of state power, corruption and the perceived incompetence of the Bucharest political elites.