Multiculturalism and Multilingualism in the Danube Monarchy of 1848–1918

Abstract

The article under studies deals with the issue of inter-national and inter-cultural relations in the Danube Monarchy, which arose as a supra-national state project after the Revolution of 1848. This conglomerate of numerous ethnic groups and nationalities, which, due to the new liberal constitution and national harmony of 1867 (despite certain conflicts and social controversies between individual powerful subjects, languages and ethnic regions), lived in relative harmony and may be regarded today as a prototype of the European Union. Besides, the article investigates the phenomena of multi- and pluriculturalism, concepts of “endogenous” and “exogenous” plurality. Particular emphasis has been laid on the issue of multilingualism, its diverse mechanisms and practices.