Does Slovenia belong to the Balkan

[memobekes]

I just read that someone claims it doesn`t.
Some say it does, other deny it.
It´s a delicate issue

I can categorically state that Slovenia does not belong in the Balkans.

If the Slovenians don't feel comfortable being placed in Central Europe either, then perhaps they should carve up their own region instead.

Phenotypically, if you left a Slovenian kid in an Austrian or Bavarian preschool class, you would not be able to tell who's who.

Culturally the only Balkans country you could say is analogous is Croatia because they are Roman Catholics.

But the Balkans belongs to the Oriental part of Europe, where Orthodoxy meets Islam and where Europe meets Asia.

The Slovenians do not belong to this cultural sphere.

[Onur]

I voted no,their culture and mentality is way too different from the rest of us,,they are more close to Austria,and central Europe.

Yeah the connection is the language and late on "Yugoslavia",but generally speaking they are not Balkanians and are a lot closer to austrians,you notice that fast when you hang out with them

It`s because the culture of Balkans (whether it`s orthodox or muslim) has been shaped during the Ottoman era.

It`s no coincidence that right in the border of Ottoman Balkans, the orthodoxy ends and catholicism begins, like Dalmatia coasts of Croatia or Slovenia. Despite the fact that both Slovenians and Croatians speaks similar or same language with the people in Ottoman Balkans, they gone in different route, lived under Hapsburg domain, became catholics and developed different culture. I guess even the Yugoslavian era couldn't help for them to unite.

I think it`s sad for any group of people who speaks similar language but goes to different routes in their lives. This is just like losing a relative in a family.

Probably if Slovenia and Dalmatian coasts would be part of Ottoman Balkans, then these differences wouldn't exist today, or the other way, if Balkans would be a part of Hapsburgs, then there would be no such a difference today. I am not sure if orthodoxy would continue to live in Balkans tough because catholics from Hapsburgs would burn everyone on stakes who refuses to convert to be catholic.


Few months ago, Hungarian president said that there was one but an important positive way of Ottoman empire occupation in 2/3rd of Hungary. He said that if there would no Turkish rule in Hungary for about ~200 years, then Hungarians might lose their language and distinct culture and assimilated among Germans.

[Hurrem sultana]

Onur.They don't speak the same language as we do.Slovenian is alien,it is a slavic language but we don't understand it

Croatia was not much part of Ottomans yet i don't feel so strange in Croatia the way i feel in Slovenia

[Onur]

Croatia was not much part of Ottomans yet i don't feel so strange in Croatia the way i feel in Slovenia

OK, but maybe this means that the Germanization or the influence of Hapsburgs might have been more powerful in Slovenia rather than Croatia.

If we look at the history there, Dalmatia was some kind of commercial outpost for both Hapsburgs and Ottoman empire. There was Venetian, Jewish, German, Turkish, Greek tradesmen in there, doing commerce between the oriental and occidental world, selling/buying goods of Asia and Europe. On the other hand, Slovenia was some kind of military outpost for Hapsburgs. They were using Slovenian people as soldiers and afaik germanization was harsh in there because Slovenia was so close to Vienna.

[Lena]

Onur.They don't speak the same language as we do.Slovenian is alien,it is a slavic language but we don't understand it

Truth is that their lang is not identical to what was once known as Serbo-Croatian, but to call it 'alien' is utter nonsense. While in YU, Slovenes had only one year of learning Serbo-Croatian grammar and needed few comic books to speak it fluently.

[morski]

It`s because the culture of Balkans (whether it`s orthodox or muslim) has been shaped during the Ottoman era.

It`s no coincidence that right in the border of Ottoman Balkans, the orthodoxy ends and catholicism begins, like Dalmatia coasts of Croatia or Slovenia. Despite the fact that both Slovenians and Croatians speaks similar or same language with the people in Ottoman Balkans, they gone in different route, lived under Hapsburg domain, became catholics and developed different culture. I guess even the Yugoslavian era couldn't help for them to unite.

I think it`s sad for any group of people who speaks similar language but goes to different routes in their lives. This is just like losing a relative in a family.

Probably if Slovenia and Dalmatian coasts would be part of Ottoman Balkans, then these differences wouldn't exist today, or the other way, if Balkans would be a part of Hapsburgs, then there would be no such a difference today. I am not sure if orthodoxy would continue to live in Balkans tough because catholics from Hapsburgs would burn everyone on stakes who refuses to convert to be catholic.


Few months ago, Hungarian president said that there was one but an important positive way of Ottoman empire occupation in 2/3rd of Hungary. He said that if there would no Turkish rule in Hungary for about ~200 years, then Hungarians might lose their language and distinct culture and assimilated among Germans.

Croats were Catholics before the Ottomans.

And yeah that's how sad we feel about the fyroMacedonians here.

[noricum]

I am not sure if orthodoxy would continue to live in Balkans tough because catholics from Hapsburgs would burn everyone on stakes who refuses to convert to be catholic.

Ok, now back to the facts of religious diversity within the Austro-Hungarian monarchy:

[Trun]

It`s because the culture of Balkans (whether it`s orthodox or muslim) has been shaped during the Ottoman era.

Spare us from your nonsense please.

[Olaska]

No Slovenia is not Balkan, they are more similar to Czechs, since they have been in the same country for a long time, and they language and culture is similar.

Even geographically, Slovenia is north of Hungary, and Hungary is not a part of the Balkans,

[Styggnacke]

I have been in Slovenia: Izola obviously was very influenced by Italy, while Ljubljana felt like a Central European city. Slovenia is a culturally diverse country, but it barely felt like a Balkan country.