The Competing Nationalisms of Komárno/Komarom

• In Event: Contested Histories: History Education and the Struggle for Democratic Resilience in Central and Eastern Europe

Abstract

Textbooks in the Slovak-Hungarian border town of Komárno/Komárom alternately promote Slovak or Hungarian nationalism through their portrayal of World War II. At the same time, civics textbooks used in local schools advocate for a democratic and European identity, often clashing with the nationalist narratives in history education. This tension is further reflected in the town’s Europe Place, a symbolic architectural project celebrating European unity despite the region’s ongoing national divisions.

Author

• Deborah Michaels, Grinnell College