ABSTRACT
Karel Kubis, Vlasta Kubisova, Karolina Ruzickova and Michael Vofisek
The Czech nation in a modern shape has been formed as a peripheral ethnic group since the end of the 18th century within the territory of a large multinational state (the Habsburg monarchy) with one reigning nation. Czech nationalism thus belongs to the group of Eastern European nations that developed from the bottom - the underprivileged groups of newly formed middle class and emancipated rural folks were the driving force of Czech national emancipation. Finally, the Czech national identity was very heavily influenced by the presence of the strong German minority that has been living in the territory of the present day Czech Republic since the 13th century. The relations with the large nations surrounding the small Czech nation have been the onmipresent essence of Czech national identity discourse.
