Are Slovenes Central Europeans or Balkan?

[Szegedist]

Are Slovenes Central Europeans or Balkan? Under which category do they fit better? How do Slovenes see themselves as?
(poll coming shortly)

[Žołnir]

We see ourself on crossroads of mediteranian, alps, pannonian plain and dinarids but most average folk don't give a hell. :D

[Austo]

They can be both.

Let them choose.

[Mans not hot]

Central Europeans.

[Twistedmind]

Both. They share lot with Austrians, but with Serb and Croats as well.

[Szegedist]

Žołnir, how close is Slovene to Slovak? Can you understand it?

[Szegedist]

Both. They share lot with Austrians, but with Serb and Croats as well.

Were the similarities to Croats and Serbs emphasized in the Yugo era?

[riverman]

Central or east Europeans troll thread

[Žołnir]

Anyways i think probably most people identify (if they do) as central european.



Žołnir, how close is Slovene to Slovak? Can you understand it?

I understand it to some degree altho it also depends on Slovak dialect. I once heard some Slovak which was very understandable but then there was some other one which was strange as hell. Actually it's likewise with our own dialects. I understand some kajkavian Croat dialects more than some of our own dialects. xD

[Alenka]

If we take the Balkan for what it is - a geographical term, then I consider Slovenes as Balkan. However, if by Balkan you mean some certain culture/mentality heavily influenced by the Ottoman era, then I consider Slovenes Central European.

[Twistedmind]

Imo folklore and culture is actually most different element between Slovenes and other Yugoslavs. This was also expressed by Cankar;

By blood we are brothers by tounge cousins and by culture we are very foregin to each other more than Upper Carniolan farmer is to Tylorean or Gorizia winemaker is to Friulian.
Depends which apect of culture. :)
You are forgeting language is basis of culture. Yes, you have different houses for example, and different mentaltiy, but there is overlap in folk stories, literature and so on.

Anyway, Balkans as term is overstreched, there are some similarities, but even states who border have bigg differences.

[Mans not hot]

Slovenian girls overlap with me.

[Bosnjakinja]

This is what I think of when I think of Slovenian folk music:


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S_Zry6LsqhE

Seems much closer to Central Europe than to the rest of the Balkans IMO

[Permafrost]

I am pretty sure Slovenians in Carinthia don't have nothing in common with the Balkans.

On the other hand Dolenjci who live on the right side of the Krka are definitely Balkanites :D

[Bosnjakinja]

I am pretty sure Slovenians in Carinthia don't have nothing in common with the Balkans.

On the other hand Dolenjci who live on the right side of the Krka are definitely Balkanites :D

Well there are regional differences between all the Balkan peoples but overall I think Slovenians are Central Europeans.

Serbs of Vojvodina (the ones that didn't migrate there in the last 20 years from BiH :D) have a different culture than Serbs from Kosovo and Sumadija but they are overall very Balkan.

[Szegedist]

I asked a similar question to some Serbs and Croats on a different forum of how they view Slovenes, and the general response was that they were outsiders in Yugoslavia, and that they have more to do with Slovaks or Czechs than them. Would you say this perception is typical among the non Slovene former Yugos??

[Bosnjakinja]

But are we talking here about culture, geopolitics, or geography? For the record, the latter is of no interest to me.

About Slovenians being closer to Czechs and Slovaks, well the Carantanians were originally a tribe of west Slavic genesis, however Slovenians had a south Slavic evolution, that's why today they are grouped with the latter.

I admit I'm talking more culturally and historically and also about mentality. Slovenes were always sort of a different "world" even in Yugoslavia.

[Mraz]

Slovenia is too stable to be Balkanian :P

[Hevo]

Slovenes are genetically most similiar to Czechs,Hungarians and Slovaks. I think that it's a Central European country imo.

[Arbërori]

Central European.

[Asgardsrei]

Balkan,as someone before said their folklore is South Slavic,and language is a part of South Slavic dialect continuum.

[Crn Volk]

I'd say Central European. Even the Croats these days like to see themselves as Central European and not Balkan.

[Den Pobedy]

I've read that before the Germans and Magyars settled in Central Europe the Slovene and Slovak were ethnically connected and really almost one.But in the over 1 thousand years since the cultures have been totally separated and Slovenia has many more cultural connections with the North Western Balkans.

[ABest]

Balkan and at the same time central European. I see them more as part of the northern Balkans though.

[rashka]

I would say Balkan. When I say Balkan I mean Slavic and exclude Albania and Greece as they are seen as Mediterranean countries.
I met Slovenians and really they are like other Yugoslavs. Their cuisine is very much like Serbian and Croatian. If you walk into their food stores you'd think you were in Serbia. It would not be just their food but their looks and mentalities that are very similar. They are very tall people too.

[ABest]

I would say Balkan. When I say Balkan I mean Slavic and exclude Albania and Greece as they are seen as Mediterranean countries.
I met Slovenians and really they are like other Yugoslavs. Their cuisine is very much like Serbian and Croatian. If you walk into their food stores you'd think you were in Serbia. It would not be just their food but their looks and mentalities that are very similar. They are very tall people too.

Interesting. I didn't know that coastal non-Slavs were seen as non-Balkan but as exclusively Mediterranean. Also, would that make coastal Slavs like Slovenians, Croatians, Bosnians and Serbians Mediterranean and non-Balkan as well, or does their Slavic-culture overshadow their relation to the Mediterranean making them exclusively Balkan?

I'm just really curious.

[rashka]

Interesting. I didn't know that coastal non-Slavs were seen as non-Balkan but as exclusively Mediterranean. Also, would that make coastal Slavs like Slovenians, Croatians, Bosnians and Serbians Mediterranean and non-Balkan as well, or does their Slavic-culture overshadow their relation to the Mediterranean making them exclusively Balkan?

I'm just really curious.
It should not be any surprise, unless you are 15 years old. :) The term, or rather I should say expression, Balkan in Yugoslavia was used exclusively to mean the Slavs, and a bit of Greece.
The Southern Slavs do not have a Mediterranean culture.

[Pontios]

Central Europeans. They do not belong in Balkans. They have no Balkan culture.

[ABest]

It should not be any surprise, unless you are 15 years old. :) The term, or rather I should say expression, Balkan in Yugoslavia was used exclusively to mean the Slavs, and a bit of Greece.
The Southern Slavs do not have a Mediterranean culture.

Patronizing much? Well, I was genuinely interested in your views, because I've certainly seen many different definitions of the Balkans, culturally, geographically and ethnographically. No need to establish what is considered the Balkans where you live in such a condescending way.

[Pontios]

It should not be any surprise, unless you are 15 years old. :) The term, or rather I should say expression, Balkan in Yugoslavia was used exclusively to mean the Slavs, and a bit of Greece.
The Southern Slavs do not have a Mediterranean culture.

Why a bit of Greece? The entire Balkan culture is largely affected by Orthodoxy which was centered in Greece, not to forget all the Balkans were under the Greeks for hundreds of years.

[Twistedmind]

Patronizing much? Well, I was genuinely interested in your views, because I've certainly seen many different definitions of the Balkans, culturally, geographically and ethnographically. No need to establish what is considered the Balkans where you live in such a condescending way.
None defintion of Balkans encompass term Mediteraneean. Since most of Balkans is landlocked, has harsh continental climate, have absolutley different culture than Spain and Italy, only parts of Balkans are Mediterannean, Montenegrin and Croatian coastline, Greece, and part of Albania. Also Balkan culture is nothing but lol. There is mixture of Eastern, Central and Southern European cultural influences in Religion, also some Ottoman ones.Yes Orthodox countries are influenced by Greek culture, but it is case with all Orthodox coutnries.

[rashka]

Patronizing much? Well, I was genuinely interested in your views, because I've certainly seen many different definitions of the Balkans, culturally, geographically and ethnographically. No need to establish what is considered the Balkans where you live in such a condescending way.
You had asked a question and I answered it. Why would you even think of it as condescending?

[ABest]

None defintion of Balkans encompass term Mediteraneean. Since most of Balkans is landlocked, has harsh continental climate, have absolutley different culture than Spain and Italy, only parts of Balkans are Mediterannean, Montenegrin and Croatian coastline, Greece, and part of Albania. Also Balkan culture is nothing but lol. There is mixture of Eastern, Central and Southern European cultural influences in Religion, also some Ottoman ones.Yes Orthodox countries are influenced by Greek culture, but it is case with all Orthodox coutnries.

I never implied that the Balkans are exclusively Mediterranean. Read my post again.


You had asked a question and I answered it. Why would you even think of it as condescending?

You know very well what I meant. Unless, you are the 15-year old.

[derLowe]

I put Slovenians as Central Europeans but they can be what they feel they want to be.

[Hurrem sultana]

they have a central european mentality,i always associated them rather with Austria than Balkan

[Lemon Kush]

They're Balkanites. Sure we can say they overlap with others, but so does every other Balkan ethnic group.

[Peyrol]

Are Slovenes Central Europeans or Balkan? Under which category do they fit better? How do Slovenes see themselves as?
(poll coming shortly)

Central europeans (like most of the croats), since unless the rest of the balkanic people, they're calm and polite people and neither attention whores or germanic-wannabee.

[Rastko]

Slovenia is Balkan influenced country,in a smaller degree than Croatia.

Hardly a proper Balkan country.

[Lemon Kush]

I really envy the Slovenes and Croats. They don't have to share a border with Albania. :(

[Szegedist]

I really envy the Slovenes and Croats. They don't have to share a border with Albania. :(

You are really obsessed with them, arent you? :laugh:

[Lemon Kush]

Central europeans (like most of the croats), since unless the rest of the balkanic people, they're calm and polite people and neither attention whores or germanic-wannabee.

Stop trying to assimilate them, they're Balkan. Attitude is only a small part of one's identity.

[Lemon Kush]

You are really obsessed with them, arent you? :laugh:

Because the Albanians and their conflicts are affecting my country and it's borders. You see if I was a Slovene I wouldn't care about them.

[Szegedist]

Because the Albanians and their conflicts are affecting my country and it's borders. You see if I was a Slovene I wouldn't care about them.

Bulgaria doesnt border Albania.

[Szegedist]

Stop trying to assimilate them, they're Balkan. Attitude is only a small part of one's identity.

Let the Slovenes decide on this.

[Lemon Kush]

Bulgaria doesnt border Albania.

If things continue the way they are, rising Albanian population in Macedonia, setup of their own parliament and wanting to secede then it will.

[RussiaPrussia]

more central european but eastern european overall

[YeshAtid]

Slovenes share a lot with Northern Italians. I'm from trieste and there's a large slovenian influence

[Szegedist]

more central european but eastern european overall

In what way are they Eastern Europeans? What have they to do with Russia?

[RussiaPrussia]

In what way are they Eastern Europeans? What have they to do with Russia?

they were colonized like all eastern european countries, except russia

[YeshAtid]

they were colonized like all eastern european countries, except russia

For me they're also influenced by italy and austria

[Onur]

One has to be part of the Ottoman empire to be considered as Balkanite because almost the entire Balkan culture has been shaped during the Ottoman era.

About half of the current Croatia was part of the Ottoman empire, so Croatians are partly Balkanite. Slovenia was not a part of the Ottoman empire, so they are technically cannot be considered as such. If they have some Balkanite culture, then it must have been from the Yugoslavia era.



Kačamak is traditional - according to Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ka%C4%8Damak) - in Bosnia, Serbia, Bulgaria, Macedonia, Albania, Turkey, and Montenegro.
It`s so obvious that this word "Kaçamak" is etymologically Turkish.

[Lemon Kush]

My 2 cents: People tend to affiliate the Balkans with inter-ethnic conflicts, economic instability, and backwardness. So naturally people will try and dissociate themselves from the ethnonym "Balkan"

[Peyrol]

Slovenes share a lot with Northern Italians. I'm from trieste and there's a large slovenian influence

That's true but only with Friuli...many forlans are basically rhaeticized slovenians, since many slovenian farmers settled there after the delpopulation of the area in early Middle Ages.

[YeshAtid]

That's true but only with Friuli...many forlans are basically rhaeticized slovenians, since many slovenian farmers settled there after the delpopulation of the area in easly Middle Ages.

They're well assimilated

[Dacul]

Average Slovene is much superior to untermenschen creatures like Huszar/Szegedist,that is my answer,about what they are.

[Szegedist]

they were colonized like all eastern european countries, except russia

Russia was colonized all right, read about VolgaGermans, you are descenant of one, arent you?

[Dacul]

Shit,Huszar,seems that voting is not working as you were expecting and Slovenes are getting Central Europeans.

[Szegedist]

Average Slovene is much superior to untermenschen creatures like Huszar/Szegedist,that is my answer,about what they are.
The only untermenschen is the gypo from Bucurshit called Daculescu.



Shit,Huszar,seems that voting is not working as you were expecting and Slovenes are getting Central Europeans.

You are a moron, I personally do not see our southwestern neigbours as Balkan, but rather Central Euros. This thread was not an attempt to make Slovenes Balkan, wtf?

[meAyin-sixteen]

The only untermenschen is the gypo from Bucurshit called Daculescu.




You are a moron, I personally do not see our southwestern neigbours, but rather Central Euros. This thread was not an attempt to make Slovenes Balkan, wtf?


...pic r.

[RussiaPrussia]

Russia was colonized all right, read about VolgaGermans, you are descenant of one, arent you?

lol volga germans were russian citizens. Sry but russia was never colonized like all the other eastern european countries.

[Duke]

they are Central, not Balkan.

Everything you would consider Balkan in Slovenia is nonexistent, except via immigrants.

I find them most similar to Czechs

[Archduke]

It`s so obvious that this word "Kaçamak" is etymologically Turkish.

It's also so obvious that u took it from the Romanians.

[Sky earth]

I don't know but I always see Slovenia and Slovenes as more related to Central Europe and more western than Balkan Slavs

[Szegedist]

lol volga germans were russian citizens. Sry but russia was never colonized like all the other eastern european countries.

Yeah, and Danube Swabians were Hungarian citizens. VolgaGermans were colonists, deal with it.

[bimo]

i vote central but i am not sure, because i see slovenians like a central euro-balkan mix

i always considered slovenians and north croats for south slav like the north italians for italy

[Szegedist]

My 2 cents: People tend to affiliate the Balkans with inter-ethnic conflicts, economic instability, and backwardness. So naturally people will try and dissociate themselves from the ethnonym "Balkan"

1) Only a small part of Slovenia is geographically part of the Balkan peninsula.
2) Slovenia lacks the Byzantine-Orthodox and Ottoman-Islamic heritage that pretty much defines the Balkan.

3) Apart from linguistic differences, I would guess Slovenes would probably feel more at home eating 'Paprikaš' in Hungary, than eating Shkembe Chorba in Bulgaria.

It would be interesting to go back in time 100 years ago, before all the Greater Serboslavia and Yugoslavia, and see how different Slovenes were to other South Slavs back then. Whether they got slowly more Balkan influence of the years, or not.

[Duke]

i vote central but i am not sure, because i see slovenians like a central euro-balkan mix

i always considered slovenians and north croats for south slav like the north italians for italy

Only small part of North Croats are somewhat similar to Slovenians, mostly around border, but on the other side of the border, Slovenians are more similar to Croats then the rest of them as well

[Szegedist]

I find them most similar to Czechs
Not Slovaks?

[Duke]

Not Slovaks?

more to Czech then Slovaks

[Insuperable]

Central European for sure

[Twistedmind]

This is called mamaliga, Romanian national dish.

Mamaliga for Romanians is something like pljeskavica for Serbs.

Well, that is Slovene version of dish which exist among all South Slavs, among Serbs it is called pura or kačamak, among Croats palenta or pura, Slovenes call it Žganci, I am not surprised Romanians also have it. :)



One has to be part of the Ottoman empire to be considered as Balkanite because almost the entire Balkan culture has been shaped during the Ottoman era.

About half of the current Croatia was part of the Ottoman empire, so Croatians are partly Balkanite. Slovenia was not a part of the Ottoman empire, so they are technically cannot be considered as such. If they have some Balkanite culture, then it must have been from the Yugoslavia era.

There is no Balkanite culture idiot. There is mentality but culture, lol.



It`s so obvious that this word "Kaçamak" is etymologically Turkish.


And it is obvious that Kačamak is just one of dozen names for that dish, other names are obviously non etymological.

[YeshAtid]

i vote central but i am not sure, because i see slovenians like a central euro-balkan mix

i always considered slovenians and north croats for south slav like the north italians for italy

Ciao, what part of italy are you from?

[RussiaPrussia]

Yeah, and Danube Swabians were Hungarian citizens. VolgaGermans were colonists, deal with it.

thats like saying italy colonized the US, what i mean is Russia was the only eastern european country being independent for longest time in history. There was even a time where russia was the only independent one.

[Szegedist]

blablalhablah
Slovenes are not Eastern in any sense, but Central .

[xajapa]

Appear to be more central European.

[VendP]

Central European (except: serbian Ljubljana; ex Slovenian Lublana, which has rather ex yugoslav majority). I would personally rather move the capital city of Slovenia to Maribor or Celje.

[Žołnir]

Alora aldje; Štrukli, Žganci, Krajnska, Ol (per), Vin, Tovkuc, Štrudli, Mohant, pa take, use to je naše! ;)

[alb0zfinest]

I don't consider them Balkanians or Central Europeans.

[Ianus]

I think they are borderline between Balkan and Mitteleuropa

[Universe]

bump

[Ülev]

CE

[Ford]

https://memegenerator.net/img/instances/67590317/why-not-both.jpg