Minorities in Central and Eastern Europe

The paper argues that the well-known triadic relationship between kin state, resident state and national minority needs to take into account a fourth dimension: that of European institutions. This is illustrated through a study of relational identities on the EU's Eastern border where the reconfiguration of ethnic relations followed the end of the iron curtain and EU accession. It considers two neighbouring ethnic minorities. One minority is part of the EU the Belarusians in Polandand the other is not part of the EUthe Poles in Belarus. The paper argues that the intersection of these four relational dimensions result in contrasting kinds of ethnic identification for the two minority groups leading to either fluidification or solidification under different circumstances.

This paper offers an overview of eugenic sub-cultures in East-
Central Europe developed between 1900 and 1944. Special attention has been paid to the intricate issue of ethnic survival and minority rights, along with the process of ideological transmission and application of eugenics within regional, national and trans-national contexts. The eugenic strategy pursued by ethnic minorities in East-Central Europe was meant to ensure their survival amidst a growing trend towards
national homogenisation and eradication regional differences. Importantly, these eugenic sub-cultures aimed not only to revive the ethnic minority from within but to reshape its relationship with the host nation-state, based upon principles of racial exclusivity, homogeneity and protectionism.