Over the past weeks, the world observed dramatic scenes of desperate people trying to reach Europe by embarking o flimsy boats in Turkey and Greece, crossing barbed wire fences in Bulgaria and Hungary, catching rides in overcrowded trains in Macedonia, and sleeping in public squares in Serbia and elsewhere. This talk will address the migration crisis in Europe through historical examples, interrogating the relevance of the past today.
Professor Theodora Dragostinova's work focuses on nation-building, refugee movements, and minority politics in Eastern Europe, with a particular emphasis on the Balkans. She is the author of Between Two Motherlands: Nationality and Emigration among the Greeks of Bulgaria, 1900-1949. Between Two Motherlands traces the history of Greek minority populations in B ulgaria from the collapse of the Ottoman Empire to the modern day, and how their identity, sense of self, and allegiances have evolved over time.
