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Méditerranée 110 (2008) Bulgarie-Roumanie .....................................

Méditerranée 110 (2008) Bulgarie-Roumanie ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ Remus Creţan, David Turnock et Jaco Woudstra Identity and multiculturalism in the Romanian Banat ................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................................ Avertissement Le contenu de ce site relève de la législation française sur la propriété intellectuelle et est la propriété exclusive de l'éditeur. 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Référence électronique Remus Creţan, David T urnock et Jaco Woudstra, « Identity and multiculturalism in the Romanian Banat », Méditerranée [En ligne], 110 | 2008, mis en ligne le 01 janvier 2010. URL : http://mediterranee.revues.org/523 DOI : en cours d'attribution Éditeur : Publications de l'université de Provence http://mediterranee.revues.org http://www.revues.org Document accessible en ligne sur : http://mediterranee.revues.org/523 Ce document est le fac-similé de l'édition papier. T ous droits réservés N° 110 - 2008 17 Identity and multiculturalism in the Romanian Banat Identité et multi-culturalisme dans le Banat roumain Remus CREŢAN David TURNOCK Jaco WOUDSTRA Professor Emeritus Professor Faculty of Geographical Sciences Department of Geography, Department of Geography Utrecht University West University of Timişoara University of Leicester. The Netherlands Pârvan 4 Timişoara, România Leicester LE1 7RH, U.K jacowoudstra@gmail.com cretan_remus@ yahoo.com dt8@le.ac.uk Emerging out of its origin as the Habsburg frontier at the edge of the Pannonian Plain, the Banat region1 in today’s western Romania, northern Serbia and southeastern Hungary is noted for its genuine multiculturalism which has emerged from its diverse ethnic structure and turbulent history linked with imperialism during an age of enlightenment (Carter & Turnock 2000 ; Bennett 1998). Since historical experience plays a fundamental role in the identity of the region today and, specifically for Romanian Banat (the largest part of a region divided by the post-1918 ethos of self-determination), this paper seeks to unravel the feelings that a particular territory and history can evoke as well as the effects that these feelings have on society and its constituent groups : especially the Romanians along with the Serbs, Hungarians and Germans who constituted the major ethnicities with their own villages and urban quarters. We then review the history of Banat with a focus on the theme of different identities coexisting within this specific marginal region (inside the ottoman, Hapsburg Empires as well as inside Romania) ; leading to the research outcomes and the profiling of the identities discernible today as the key to the region’s ongoing multiculturalism (notwithstanding a Romanian majority that now exceeds 80%) ; and its reproduction, especially through the work of local government and the education service. 1 - Introduction: conceptual basis and research programme While Banat historically extends into Serbian territory (east of the Tisa) and a very small part of Hungary between the Tisa and Mureş, our study of regional multiculturalism is limited to the Romanian component. We concentrate on the counties of Caraş-Severin and Timiş although many authors also consider small adjacent areas of Arad county (south of the Mureş) and Mehedinţi county (along the Danube upstream of Orşova) as historically part of Banat, while the existence of a West region (as one of eight large regions created as part of the EU project) will inevitably require some consideration of Arad and Hunedoara counties. As Berdoulay argues (quoted by Paasi 1996: 11-12) a place is a mere network of social relations and a community is not necessarily bounded by a specific territory : only by discourse are the boundaries established, as is the community itself - showing to the world as the “we” is distinct from the “other”. In other words, “when a group occupies a territory the group no longer defines the territory but the territory defines the group” (Herb 1999: 17). Of course, stories and narratives contributed by territorial elites will help to decide who joins and who does not : in this way the “we” will be separated It is common for people to maintain an attachment to their native settlement or county but there are also wider regional identities which may not be fully reflected in official administrative hierarchies. The province of Banat was established by the Habsburg authorities on the southeastern edge of the Pannonian Plain as an experiment in mercantilist colonisation following the Turkish withdrawal. Although it was incorporated into the Hungarian state under the dualist system negotiated in 1867 it retained its multicultural character ; as it was the case after the partition which followed the First World War. Through its main urban centre – Timişoara – the Romanian section of Banat played a leading role in the anti-communist revolution of 1989 and attracted a high level of foreign investment during the subsequent transition period. The paper outlines the conceptual basis of regional identity, documents the multicultural heritage of the Romanian component of the Banat region and examines the results of a questionnaire survey –involving all ethnic groups- enquiring into identity preferences. A strong multiculturalism emerged (in the context of both internal and external contributions) and seems set to remain a powerful force in the future of regionalism in Romania. Key-words: regional identity, multiculturalism, Romanian Banat region La plupart des gens ont un sentiment d’attache vis-à-vis de leur village de naissance, mais certaines identités régionales plus larges peuvent ne pas être reflétées par les hiérarchies administratives officielles. La province du Banat a été créée par l’autorité habsbourgeoise sur le flanc sud-est de la plaine pannonienne sous la forme d’une expérience de colonisation mercantile suite au retrait des Turcs. Bien qu’incorporé dans l’État hongrois sous le système dual négocié en 1867, son caractère multi-culturel s’est maintenu, tout comme cela a été le cas après la partition qui a suivi la Seconde Guerre mondiale. À travers son centre urbain principal – Timişoara –, la partie roumaine du Banat a joué un rôle déterminant dans la révolution anti-communiste de 1989 et a attiré de nombreux investissements étrangers au cours de la période de transition qui s’est ensuivie. Cet article interroge le concept d’identité régionale, s’intéresse à l’héritage multi-culturel de la composante roumaine du Banat et exploite les résultats d’un questionnaire par sondage auprès de tous les groupes ethniques portant sur les préférences identitaires. Un multi-culturalisme vigoureux émerge (issu d’apports internes et externes) et semble s’établir comme une force d’orientation puissante dans le devenir du régionalisme roumain. Mots-clés : identité régionale, multi-culturalisme, Banat roumain 1 See pl. 1, fig. 1, p. 52. 18 from the “other” by use of boundaries. But there may be rival narratives such as the Hungarian and Romanian versions of Transylvanian history (Paasi 1996: 8-10) ; boundaries being not only lines between states but invisible zones within which groups with the same iconography distinguish themselves from outsiders and mediate their contacts with them. Moreover “territories are not eternal units, but exist for some time and disappear in the transformation of the world state system” (Ibid: 3). Banat formation takes place at different scales. National identity is one of the most privileged forms that tends to dominate others as bounded communities of exclusion and opposition (Herb 1999: 16-17) evoking stronger loyalty from its members than other communities, while sharing an idyllic and often primordial past and seeking a goal or destiny that makes the nation a politicised entity. There is an important distinction to be made between civic identity which is congruous with the territory of the state (the basis for nation states) and ethnic identity based on language and culture ; with the latter weakened by the lack of a clear national goal that contributes much of a nation state’s “we” feeling. Although some regional movements may have national aspirations the EU is an example wherein regions gain more scope over economic, political and cultural matters. This is particularly significant with the collapse of authoritarian communist regimes. Some consequent ethnic instability (especially in the former Yugoslavia) has secured more political attention for problems of ethnic and regional inequality. Thus, because of political attention and economic aid, regional cultures are becoming more important and thereby institutionalised within existing political structures. 2 - History, territory and multiculturality The native Vlachs or Dacians (named after the Roman province of Dacia) are widely assumed to have integrated in certain respects with the previous occupying forces before being left alone to face the new ethnic currents of the migration period when we hear of the Hun leader Attila referring to Valahs in what is today southern Romania (Popa & Sârbovan 1999: 150). Whatever new cultural influences were assimilated there is no credible alternative to the assumption of continuity of occupation by the Romanised Dacians (despite temporary settlement adjustments) and after a long period of invisibility we find uploads/Litterature/ mediterranee-523-110-identity-and-multiculturalism-in-the-romanian-banat.pdf