National and Regional Atlases as an Expression of National/Regional Identities: New Examples from Post-Communist Europe

Summary

This paper examines national and regional atlases from four post-communist European countries—Slovenia, Croatia, Polish Silesia, and Romania—as expressions of national or regional identity. The analysis reveals that these atlases construct and reinforce specific identity narratives through thematic choices including historical maps, dialect distributions, emigration networks, and border evolution. Slovenia emphasizes its Alpine character and ancient cultural heritage; Croatia highlights historical continuity and an ethnic corpus extending beyond state borders; the Silesian atlas integrates multiple historical identities, including the sensitive issue of postwar population exchange; Romania traces national origins back to Roman times. The study concludes that atlases serve not merely as geographic references but as significant instruments for constructing political and cultural identity, with their content and cartographic methods deeply reflecting identity politics within specific historical contexts.