ABSTRACT
Voluntary associations are perceived as crucial in the formation of modern democratic societies and as a core element of the concept of civil society. Yet, issues of interethnic relations are often overlooked in international research either because they are regarded as not being relevant or, rather, because voluntary associations are seen as natural space for the formation of modern ethnic nations. In this chapter, the associational world of the Baltic region in the long nineteenth century is described as a space of intense interethnic entanglements on various levels. Sociability is also examined as an inherent element of voluntary associations implying the production of social boundaries in which linguistic, cultural, or religious issues play an important role.
