Regions in the History of Central Europe

THE ROOTS OF IDENTITY: TERRITORIALITY IN EARLY CENTRAL EUROPEAN HISTORY

PART TWO THE ROOTS OF IDENTITY TERRITORIALITY IN EARLY CENTRAL EUROPEAN HISTORY Sven Tiigil The idea of the nation-state has occupied a central position in the evolution of the European states. This is true of both the states fonned during nineteenth and twentieth centuries according to the principle of self-determination, and the territorial states whose nation-and state-building processes date further back into history. In both cases, notions of common descent, with roots frequently traced back to the dawn of European history, and a long cultural continuity have been key components in identity fonnation. The nation-state has often been understood as the self-evident final phase in this development, the ideal scenario being that of absolute consonance between the people and the territory, between the nation and the state. However, the. reality has not been quite so straightforward. Many groups have found it impossible to crystallise a state of their own, despite satisfying the criteria for a nation-state: ethnic and cultural homogeneity, a distinct language, and a contiguous territory that the group has inhabited for several generations. As is true of states, such historically grown regions differ from each other. Awareness of the population's distinctiveness nlaY vary in strength both over time and among the members ofthe population, as too can the political willingness to assert this distinctiveness. External factors such as dynastic, political, religious or economic conditions have in certain instances prevented a historical region from achieving the status of independent state. Ethno-territorial developments took a singular course within the Central European area. In Francia the foundations for a certain stability and continuity had already been laid before the age of 30 The Roots of Identity 31 migrations had ended. By contrast, Central Europe was divided among ethnic groups that long preserved their identities, but were unable to politicise them and thus embark on the nation-building process that was slowly developing in much of Europe. The ethno-territorial evolution in this area was already distinctive in the early Middle Ages. Indeed, the realities of this period proved highly significant to subsequent developments and continue to be relevant today. The Germanic tribes, territorial configurations, the organisation of society, and legal and political realities have all influenced the direction of ethnoterritorial development. As often in history, integration and disintegration were the two main contending alternatives. In Germany's case, the later so-called Holy Roman Empire of the German Nation - the realm founded by Otto the Great in the tenth century (he was crowned Emperor by the Pope in 962) and formally abolished by Napoleon only in 1806 - exemplified integration, while disintegration was reflected . in a mosaic of son~e 1800 more or less sovereign areas that had con~e to comprise the Empire by the end of the Middle Ages. It is difficult to give a coherent picture of the emergence of this myriad of kingdoms, duchies, margravates, palatine countships, countships and other secular principalities, ecclesiastical entities, such as bishoprics, autonomous dioceses and abbeys, and free imperial cities and knights. However, it is still possible to distinguish certain principal features in Central Europe's ethno-territorial development.. Our focus here is primarily on the emergence and permanence of historical regions. Elements of continuity and a sluggish pace of change figure alongside the more rapidly changing, constantly shifting configurations in Central Europe's lengthy history. In certain instances, present-day regional structures reflect ancient divisions and identities. In others, little more than the name of the ethno-territorial entity has survived and the borders and social structures of the area have been totally altered. In the following sections we discuss the German stem duchies of the early Middle Ages which have kept a remarkable titular continuity: Saxony, Frisia, Lotharingia (Lorraine) and Bavaria, for example, are historically evolved regions with traditions that go back over 1,000 years. These names endure today both in administrative and political divisions and in the consciousness and culture of the people. In the current debate on the integration 32 Sven Tagil and development of the European Community historical regions have a significant place, particularly those classified as nations yet which never achieved statehood. Romans and Germanic Peoples Central Europe first appears in recorded history at the dawn of the first Christian millennium. By this time, the area north of the Alps had begun to be absorbed into the Roman cultural sphere through trade and peaceful contact...