Paths to Belonging : Constructing Local Identity in Banat by Means of Monuments, Cultutral Heritage and Historiography

Banat is a former Austro-Hungarian region currently shared by Romania, Serbia and Hungary. This multidisciplinary investigation of Banat identity brings together the studies of researchers from diverse scientific fields: anthropology, cultural studies, history, political science and sociology. The contributions focus on three major issues. The first chapter analyses the role played by cultural heritage in shaping regional identity and comes with a series of conceptual explanations which also offer some case studies not only about how ethnic groups construct and renegotiate their identity by means of monuments in the region but also about how other types of heritage, artistic and printed, are connected to the issue of identity. The second chapter documents how the identity of the region has been changed or reconstructed throughout various historical ages. Finally, in case studies the third chapter analyses the self-legitimising character of the region s historical texts.