Building a future on the past: The cultural image of Niš region

Abstract

A consciously‐created regional cultural image can play the role of an active actor in economic development. This is illustrated by the example of Niš in Serbia, which had been faced with the negative consequences of Belgrade's hypermetropolitanization. The regional cultural image which is being projected is based on the city's role in Serbian high culture and selective use of regional history. Connections with the Roman period are emphasized, while those which emphasize the city's provinciality—the medieval and Turkish—are underplayed. This symbolic instrumentalization contributes to a positive regional image and to regional integration.

Keywords:

• symbolic instrumentalism
• regionalism
• culture
• integration
• Yugoslavia