Planning the past – dreaming the future

Nations, Ethnogenesis and Politics in Bulgarian and Macedonian Medieval Studies 

Abstract

National historiographies in the Balkans, particularly the Macedonian and Bulgarian ones, remain a frequent subject of scholarly research and analysis. This study contributes to the ongoing critical inquiry into the motives, stereotypes, and paradigms that influence the reconstruction and writing of history. By exploring the concept of the "history of history," this paper addresses the enduring philosophical question of how the present shapes our understanding of the past, and vice versa. Specifically, the research conducts a comparative analysis of two adjacent historiographies—Macedonian and Bulgarian—focusing on their respective interpretations of the medieval period. Both traditions investigate an overlapping body of historical events and figures, yet interpret them through distinct national lenses. This divergence creates a dynamic landscape characterized by narrative conflict, ideological competition, and mutual negation, alongside a parallel exchange of ideas, stereotypes, and arguments. Ultimately, this study utilizes these adjacent historical narratives to provide a comprehensive framework for comparing and analyzing the mechanisms of national identity construction in modern Balkan historiography.

Keywords:

Historiography, Balkan History, Medieval Studies, Macedonian-Bulgarian Relations, Collective Memory, Identity Construction.