Medieval Bulgaria in Polish Historiography after 1989

Abstract

Polish-Bulgarian relations have a centuries-old history, and medieval Bulgarian history has been widely present in Polish research and publications throughout the 20th century. However, the deep crisis processes that started in the early 1980s, the massive activity of the Solidarity trade union in Poland, and the events of the 1980s marked the beginning of a new period in Polish research and, accordingly, in Polish-Bulgarian relations and contacts. The main task of the paper is to present and analyze studies and publications on medieval Bulgarian history over the decades following the fall of communist rule, in the context of complete liberalization of political, scientific, and cultural life in Polish society. Are there any traditional topics that continue to develop after 1989? Are there new topics and problems in Polish studies and publications on Bulgarian history that emerged in the decades of transition after 1989? Are there any new Polish research centres and schools working in the field of the Bulgarian Middle Ages that appeared in the last three decades? Despite the transition and difficulties of the 1980s and 1990s in Polish society and for Polish historians, the analysis demonstrates a strong and lasting interest in medieval Bulgarian history in Polish historiography at the end of the 20th and the beginning of the 21st centuries. Finally, the author expresses hope that, despite the vicissitudes and challenges facing the two nations in today’s globalizing world, this interest in the medieval Bulgarian past will persist in the coming decades.