Scientists see the Danube region as a miniature Europe

Migration, Integration, and Health: The Danube Region

Confluence of river Sava into the Danube beneath Belgrade citadel

Throughout the course of history the entire Danube region has time and time again witnessed dramatic shifts in migration of large populations. The lack of knowledge regarding these extremely varied circumstances can also be a stumbling block to the political and socio-economic integration of the Danube countries into the EU. We Western Europeans have forgotten to research in this open air laboratory and therefor fail to understand the problems in former Yugoslavia. A multidisciplinary anthology intends to improve the understanding of history, the current development and the perspectives of the Danube countries in relation to the European integration process: "Migration, Integration and Health"

The idea of European integration supposes that ethnic ideologies, which in the 20th century have led to immense and violent migrations, can be overcome. At the same time it must be understood that migration is a normal element of the cultural and economic development of the Danube region. Integrating the resettlement and displacement experience within the Danube region into pan-European displacement events is a difficult task. It is an exceedingly important topic because even today and before our very eyes, violent expulsion continues. In his contribution Prof. Dr. Karl Schlögel outlines European displacement history over tha last 100 years and thereby confronts the false impression that the displacement problem is only a German, Polish, Cosovan or Bosnian one. It is important to understand that Europe as we know it today is the result of migration and displacement waves. He sees the Danube region as a miniature Europe, and writes that everything one could see from the European perspective is reflected in the Danube region with great clarity and radicalism.

H. Traue, R. Johler, J.J. Gavrilovic (Eds.)
Migration, Integration and Health: The Danube Region

Pabst, 368 pages
ISBN 978-3-89967-641-9