Southeastern Europe as a Historical Meso-region: Constructing Space in Twentieth-Century German Historiography

Abstract

This essay gives an overview on the notion ‘Southeastern Europe’ as the underlying space concept for political projects in interwar Germany as well as for the German historiography on this area since 1918. More extensively covered are the first steps of institutionalised research on Southeastern Europe in the early 1930s, pointing out the tension between a Germano-centric vision of Southeastern Europe as German ‘Kulturboden’ or as part of an informal economic Empire and a region in its own right. Second, the paper discusses a controversy between Maria Todorova and Holm Sundhaussen on the process of space construction itself and on how to define best the Balkans resp. Southeastern Europe. The author argues for further on using concepts of historical meso-regions (Geschichtsregionen) such as Southeastern Europe, at the same time being aware of their constructive nature.