Head of Section: Prof. Raia Zaimova, Dr. habil.
Secretary: Assist. Prof. Margarita Dobreva, PhD

Associates:

• Assist. Prof. Elmira Vasileva, PhD
• Assist. Prof. Maria Shousharova
• Vladimir Paunovski

The "Balkans in the 15th through the 19th century" section aims to research the ideological and political processes during 18th-19th centuries, the rise and imposition of the understanding of national identity, the problem of the "historicity of the nation" and the mentality of the individual groups in the region. Researchers working in the section focus also on topics such as: the process of actual and unrealized modernization, set by the ideas of the Enlightenment, the image of the other, the intercultural dialogues in the Balkans, the fate of the Jews, the cultural development of Balkan peoples and their religious life, the Ottoman administrative and legal institutions, the social and economic life of the region during 15th-19th centuries, genealogy and generic memory, relations of Balkan population with institutions and individuals from Western Europe. Their research activities are mainly based upon actual source materials in various languages, stored in Bulgarian and foreign archives and repositories.

More information

Projects related to the activity of the section

Dynamique régionale, transformations urbaines dans les Balkans ottomans – joint project between the IBSCT–BAS and the Nicolae Iorga Institute of History, Romanian Academy
Project Manager for Bulgaria: Prof. Raia Zaimova, Dr. habil.

Between tradition and modernity: interdisciplinary dialogues in the study of the Balkans
Project Manager: Prof. Raia Zaimova, Dr. habil.