ABSTRACT

This chapter focuses on the events perceived as traumatic or significantly harmful in the national master narratives, particularly in relevance to the Slovak–Hungarian relations from the Slovak perspective. Emphasis is placed on the cultural traumas resonating most in the Slovak political realm and we consider why some are more potent in influencing policymaking than others. Narratives of cultural trauma are among the most important tools of ethnic identity formation. Traumatic events are escalated in the national imagination and intertwined with emotions of fear, hatred, resentment or anger. The narratives of trauma and suffering are closely tied to the imagination of the existence of a community as a homogeneous group, sharing common history and culture. However, they do not usually encompass all members of the community – they may be accepted, tolerated, or contested by alternative narratives. Trauma is also not equally salient in all narratives – some communities tell their story with less reliance on great tragedies than others.