The Balkans Revisited

Uncovering the cultural and linguistic threads that connect Balkan communities

Messegelände

16:00 - 17:00 Uhr Sa. 21. März

Ministry of Culture of Romania (Halle 4, D401/E400)

Veranstalter: Ministerul Culturii Romania Ministry of Culture of Romania

Kalendereintrag

Kurzbeschreibung

On the languages, identities, and histories that bind the Balkan region

Beschreibung

The event brings together three distinguished voices: Thede Kahl, renowned German ethnographer and ethnolinguist; Oana Hergenröther, researcher in Graz University; and a special invited guest, for a compelling dialogue about the deep, often unexpected connections that shape the Balkan region.

The event explores the shared linguistic roots, cultural entanglements, and historical layers that link communities across Southeastern Europe. From mountain villages to urban cultural centers, from minority languages to shifting identities, the Balkans reveal a mosaic of influences that transcend national borders.

Thede Kahl, one of Europe’s leading experts on Balkan ethnolinguistics, draws on decades of fieldwork among Aromanian, Albanian, Macedonian, and other communities. His research uncovers how languages evolve through contact and coexistence, how identities are negotiated, and how traditions persist or transform within a shared cultural space.

Oana Hergenröther brings a complementary perspective rooted in cultural mediation, archival work, and contemporary curatorial practice. Her approach highlights how narratives from the past can be reinterpreted today, creating new bridges between communities, disciplines, and artistic expressions.

Together with the third guest, the speakers will reflect on the common origins found in words, myths, customs, and regional memory. They will also address the tensions and harmonies that have shaped the Balkans for centuries—a region defined not only by borders but by layers of encounter, movement, and exchange.

The conversation invites audiences to reconsider the Balkans not as a fragmented territory, but as a living cultural continuum, where shared heritage coexists with distinct identities. By tracing linguistic echoes and cultural parallels, the event proposes a fresh lens through which to understand how communities relate to one another and how the region’s diversity enriches its collective story.

"The Balkans Revisited" is an invitation to rediscover the region through nuance, empathy, and curiosity. It is a celebration of difference, a recognition of connection, and a reminder that language and culture often tell stories far more intertwined than maps suggest.

The Balkans Revisited

Uncovering the cultural and linguistic threads that connect Balkan communities

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Ministry of Culture of Romania (Halle 4, D401/E400)