Post/Memory, Post/Hegemony, and Counter/Discourses: The Pomaks and the Bulgarian Revival Process

• In Event: Memory Across Borders: Postwar Displacement, Testimonies, and Transnational Narratives

Abstract

This article explores the intersections of post-memory, post-hegemony, and counter-discourses in the context of the Pomaks—a Slavic-speaking Muslim community in Bulgaria—and their experiences with the Bulgarian Revival Process (Възродителен процес), a state-led forced assimilation campaign during the socialist period. The study critically examines how the Pomak memory is constructed, contested, and transmitted across the generations, particularly in relation to the hegemonic narratives of the state, that often continue to marginalize minority perspectives. The study examines counter-discourses that challenge the monolithic representation of Bulgaria’s national history. Through oral testimonies, contemporary cultural activism, Pomaks construct alternative understandings of their past, subverting state-centric narratives and asserting their presence in the national imaginary. By integrating perspectives from memory studies, postcolonial theory, and critical historiography, this article demonstrates how post-memory and counter-discourses intersect in shaping Pomak identity and historical consciousness. The study highlights the ongoing struggle for recognition in post-socialist Bulgaria, offering insights into the broader dynamics of memory, power, and counter-discourses in Southeastern Europe.

Author

• Szczepan Paweł Czarnecki, Inst of Central Europe (Poland)