Reflection upon the position of Slovenia, its language and culture within Central Europe helped reinforce the idea of an independent state, while the term "Central Europe" functioned as an antipode to "the Balkans". The present contribution considers this topic from a German perspective, within which Slovenia has constantly been overlooked as a part of Central Europe. Since the Slovene language belongs to the South-Slav group of languages, Slovene literature and culture are often seen as part of Balkan culture. This represents a huge obstacle when trying to promote Slovene language, literature and culture in German universities and institutes.
|