Book Notes, December 2001, No. 2
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Mirela Slukan, Kartografski izvori za povijest Triplex Confiniuma
[Cartographic Sources for the History of the Triplex Confinium/
Kartographische Quellen zur Geschichte des Triplex Confinium] (Zagreb:
Hrvatski Drzavni Arhiv, 1999), 144p. + 16 maps, 150 kuna, not catalogued by
ISBN.

This book offers a catalogue of the Croatian State Archives' 1999
exhibition of Triplex Confinium maps as well as a concise introduction to
the principal themes of the area's cartography and history since the
Sixteenth century. Intended to "enlighten the historical period from 1527
to 1797 during which the Venetian Republic, the Habsburg Monarchy, and the
Ottoman Empire directly encountered each other," this work discusses the
cartographical traditions in each of the three main areas (Dalmatia,
Croatia, Bosnia) and brings out the importance of cartographical sources in
understanding representations of boundaries, cross-cultural encounters at
frontiers, settlement patterns, and transformation of the landscape along
established borders (ecohistory). In the brief presentation, the author
argues that the maps of the mentioned territories "enable us to identify
the transformation of the cultural environment as the interaction between
man and nature in the specific historical traditions, but also to realize
the differences in viewing the same problem." The work includes 16 full
color maps from the original exhibition and English and German translation
of the text.

Edin Hajdarpasic, University of Michigan
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Francis W. Carter & David Turnock (eds.), The States of Eastern Europe,
Vol. I (North-Eastern Europe) & II (South-eastern Europe), (Aldershot:
Ashgate, 2000), 328 pp. (Vol. II), 55 GBP, ISBN 1-855215667 (hardcover).

This two-volume set seeks to provide for a general overview, with a focus
on geography on the countries of Eastern Europe. The editors have decided
to take the terminology for the region to its logical conclusion wit the,
somewhat curious, adoption of Northern-Eastern Europe, which includes even
Slovenia, but does not include the Baltic states which ought to form part
of any such region. The use of the term reflects mostly the difficulty of
finding an adequate term to describe Eastern Europe minus the Balkans.
The volume of Southeastern-Europe is interesting in as it provides
geographical, socio-economic and historical data in a narrative form on the
countries in the region. As book, which seeks to offer a general overview
over a fast-changing region, it suffers mostly from one considerable flaw.
All articles seem to have been completed by the mid-1990s, approx. 1994/5.
As such, the texts seem slightly dated in the analysis of the recent past.
The chapter on Albania ends before the end of the Berisha era, and the
Bosnia chapter seems to be written before the end of the war, just to
mention two examples. While most chapter are well written and contain
significant relevant information, some are problematic, especially the
chapter on Croatia. It contains statements, such as 'ethnic problems remain
because of the possibility that the Krajina Serbs will return' and
'problems with the Serbs...may delay Croatia's further integration into
Europe ..." (p.138). While these quotes are the exception in the volume, it
raises the question whether one can write an adequate history and geography
of Southeastern Europe on the basis of the mostly self-perceived nation
states in the region. As result, regions such as Kosovo remain only
mentioned in the context of Serbia. A stronger focus on comparable
developments, such as ethnicity or the examination of regions might add to
the spatial and historical understanding of the region.

Florian Bieber, ECMI
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Valeria Heuberger, Arnold Suppan, Elisabeth Vyslonzil (eds.), Das Bild vom
Anderen. Identitäten, Mentalitäten, Mythen und Stereotypen in
multiethnischen europäischen Regionen [The Image of the Other. Identities,
Mentalities, Myths, and Stereotypes in Multiethnic European Regions].
(Frankfurt et al.: Peter Lang, 1999) 2nd edition, 261 pp., 64 SFR, ISBN
3-631-34682-4 (softcover).

This volume brings together more than 20 contributions examining different
aspects of identity and stereotypes throughout history and today. Despite
the title, which suggests that the book address Europe in general, the book
focuses on the Eastern half of the continent, with two chapters on Tyrol
and one on Switzerland being the only exceptions. The book contains some
relevant theoretical chapters--analysis of stereotypes from the angle of
different disciplines--and a number of country and regional studies
pertaining to Southeastern Europe, including Bosnia, Kosovo, Romania and a
contribution on Krleza. As a conference volume the volume highlights the
breadth of the field and the diversity of approaches. While not offering a
coherent and systematic approach to the matter, the contributions are of
interest due to their triple diversity: geographical, disciplinary and
historical.
The contributions on the Balkans question common Western misperceptions of
the region's stereotypes as being 'ancient'. At the same time they point
to the continuity of stereotypes throughout recent times.
A number of articles point out that many of the multiethnic regions under
discussion in this volume have had long periods of peaceful co-existence,
but at the same time the existence of stereotypes and often mutually
exclusive identities throughout the past two centuries have question the
quality of this co-existence which is at time idealized.
This volume points to the relevance of studying national stereotypes as an
aspect of the study of nationalism and national identity. The view of
others and one self is often an important indicator for the understanding
of nationalist mobilization, both in the past and today.

Florian Bieber, ECMI
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