National Mythology: Past and Present
National Mythology: Past and Present

Summary/Abstract: The issues of nation and nationhood are nowadays largely perceived as a social, economical and political topic — the cultural side of the question is usually left aside. For nation is not something natural and primordial — instead, the birth of a nation is related to specific historical moments and depends on socio-economic conditions. As Miroslav Hroch puts it: “The basic precondition of all national movements — yesterday and today — is a deep crisis of the old order, with the breakdown of its legitimacy, and the values and sentiments that sustained it.” (Hroch 1996: 96). Historical transformation, political emancipation, modern liberalism, state-building — these are the standard key words of a nation.

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