HUNGARIAN STUDIES 21. Nemzetközi Magyar Filológiai Társaság. Akadémiai Kiadó Budapest [2007]
Victor Neumann: Multiculturality and Interculturality: The Case of Timisoara
HStud21 (2007)1-2, 3-18 DOI: 10. l5566IHStud.21.2007.1-2.1 MULTICULTURALITY AND INTERCULTURALITY: THE CASE OF TIMISOARA VICTOR NEUMANN West University of Timisoara, Timisoara Romania Geographically situated some 550 kilometers southeast of Vienna and 250 kilometers southeast of Budapest, Timisoara assimilated the influences of the two former imperial capitals relatively quickly. Its European openness was facilitated by the practice of plurilingualism and multiconfessionalism. At the beginning of the 20th century, Timisoara's population spoke five languages, namely Hungarian, German, Serbian, Romanian and Bulgarian. The main religious affiliations were Roman-Catholic, Orthodox, Greek-Catholic, Evangelic-Lutheran, Reformist-Calvinist Churches and Jewish. Interculturality and the intermingling of populations generated a very promising social culture. Analyzed from the behavioral point of view, Timisoara was an example of multi-cultural and intercultural society for two centuries, which made it possible for this center to be integrated into Europe ever since the 19th century and to represent the main link between the Austrian-Hungarian Monarchy and the Balkan Peninsula. The multicultural and intercultural dimensions gave consistency to the anti-totalitarian resistance over the course of the 20th century. This was why the intellectuals in the post-Ceausescu period defined the city's distinctiveness with the expression "the spirit of Timisoara". Keywords: Timisoara, Banat, region, multiculturalism, multi-confessionalism, interculturality, melting-pot, ambivalence, citizen, civic society, 1989 revolt, identity Geographically situated at 550 km southeast of Vienna and 250 km southeast of Budapest, Timisoara assimilated the influences of the two former imperial capitals relatively quickly. In 1910 the city was home to 72,555 inhabitants; it had two technical institutions of higher education, two episcopates, 62 small and medium sized factories, 132 scientifical and professional associations, 7 dailies, 17 printing houses and musical life of a very high standard. Boasting 11,656 pupils and high school students in 1906, Timisoara used to be a real city of education. In 1911 the local authorities were allowed to set up the second technical university in the eastern territories of the Monarchy. After Budapest, Timisoara became one of the most important and modern cities in the eastern part of Austro-Hungary. ' Hungarian Studies 21/1-2 (2007) 0236-6568/S20M <Q 2007 Akadémiai Kiadó. Budapest