Why do you say Hungary is Balkan?
Posted by jinawee@reddit | AskBalkans | View on Reddit | 27 comments
Besides not being geographically Balkan, I didn't find much Balkan mentality. Things I found in common:
- Communist past
- Poorer than Western Europe
- Corrupt government
- Homemade alcohol
- Invaded by Ottomans
- Non-woke, whatever that means
But the rest was more like Central Europe:
- People are way more introverted, punctual, formal, quiet
- Not much showing off wealth or manliness
- Comparing to ex-Yugo capitals, people dressed differently, Budapest seemed to have a lot more Goth/Punk/Black clothes with blue hair styles
- Not much food from Ottomans
There are probably noticeable differences between Serbia and Bulgaria, but I had the impression that there were bigger differences with Hungary. What do you think?
Vdd666@reddit
Have you been outside Budapest?
jinawee@reddit (OP)
Just passing by, didn't interact with villagers. Guess it gets closer to Balkans because it's poor and they are way more nationalist and upset for Trianon. Do people also behave more like in the Balkans? Louder, talking with strangers, more touchy, inviting strangers home to show hospitality, late dinners, lots of smoking, etc.
Vdd666@reddit
Yeah, that's the thing. Even my relatives who live there and who are very educated and wealthy. Budapest is an outlier for pretty much everything.
I'd say they are at least culturally balkan.
Visible-Star-6079@reddit
No. Neither is Moldova. Geographically, the Balkan peninsula should stop at the base of the Carpathians and follow the Danube to the Black Sea.
CataVlad21@reddit
Go back to school, kid. It ends at the Danube all along, not only in the delta. Yes, sounthern Romania is culturally balkan, but only that. Stop making shit up!
Moldorancea@reddit
According to geography, not according to Mr. Visible Star, the Balkan Peninsula has its northern and north-eastern border at the Danube. This means that the only Balkan part of Romania is Dobrudja. However, culturally wise, southern Romania is Balkan, eastern Romania (aka the original Moldova) is a mix of Balkan and Eastern European and Transylvania is a mix of Balkan and Central European.
Visible-Star-6079@reddit
Accurate
sk0opyo1@reddit
I consider Hungary Balkan, Culturally can be said most east or at least south-east europe is Balkan, I would add also Slovakia, Moldova, even Ukraine. Maybe easier to say which eastern EU country isn't balkan?
Candid-Shopping8773@reddit
Well, calling Yugoslavia "Communist" isn't the same thing as calling Hungary "Communist", in the past. Yugoslavia had it a lot easier than any of the EU ex-Communist countries because their Communism was homegrown: it wasn't imposed by force by the Soviets - when Stalin tried to meddle with their internal affairs Tito famously told him to go fuck himself and to "stop sending people to poison him because if Tito will have to do the same, he will only have to send a single one". No one else in the Socialist camp could dare to say Soviets to fuck off - not even Mao (because of total technological dependence).
So they had a lot less absurdity in their lives in the Soviet era because they could decide for themselves (and were not locked into arms race, it helped as well). And they were less traumatised because of not being "occupied by the foreign enemy".
Loopbloc@reddit
Yes. Communism Light. As Marlboro Light.
Organic_Contract_172@reddit
It’s not but when you look at a map itfeels like they belong to that general area of Southeastern Europe
Infamous_Dish_4348@reddit
Hungary feels significantly more Central European than the balkans
CerbulLopatar@reddit
No no, they are more central Asian
Infamous_Dish_4348@reddit
I was disappointed at the lack of throat singing there 🥲
Proud-Ad-5206@reddit
The square houses are the proof! ;-)
Tramagust@reddit
Keep dreaming huns
Odd-Organization-740@reddit
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskBalkans/comments/1mnqoyl/why_isnt_hungary_ever_concieved_as_a_part_of/ 🤔
jinawee@reddit (OP)
Ok, combining the answers here and there, nobody has any reason to think they are Balkan. Most who say it are trolls, except maybe one redditor that was jealous because Hungary is closer to Austria than Croatia is.
chrstianelson@reddit
Not everybody considers Hungary Balkan but for those that do it's because Balkans was more of a geopolitical term rather than a geographic one. Balkans referred to the Ottoman vilayet of Rum, also called European Turkey at the time.
So everywhere that was a part of Ottoman territories in Europe was Balkans.
Stverghame@reddit
Literally nobody says that Hungary is Balkan.
Logical_Muffin_7685@reddit
They are simply Balkan! :)
Hefty_Jaguar4305@reddit
Not for me, im a descendant of danube swabians in maternal side and no, their villages etc. are not even similar to balkans. Hungary was part of the austro-hungarian empire and not balkans.
Legal-Arachnid-323@reddit
Most Balkan memes are applicable to Hungarians. At least to the villages.
Hefty_Jaguar4305@reddit
und gerade daß würde nicht auf die noch verlbliebenen donauschwäbischen dörfer passen.
Ganz und gar nicht.
Elmalukat@reddit
Thanks for asking this question.
It has been asked only 538383 more times in the past
jinawee@reddit (OP)
Can you link one?
In the questions I found nobody says why it is, only why it isn't. At most someone says it's honorary Balkan without explanation.
https://www.reddit.com/r/AskBalkans/comments/1mnqoyl/why_isnt_hungary_ever_concieved_as_a_part_of/
thatMrGecko@reddit