The Ethnicity of the Slavic Macedonians: A Contribution to the Clarification of the Eastern Question

This book explores the complex ethnic identity of the Macedonian Slavs, tracing their historical, linguistic, and cultural roots. Hron examines the evolution of Macedonian identity amid competing national narratives from neighboring countries like Bulgaria, Serbia, and Greece.

It will now be necessary to clarify my position on this disputed question from the outset. After careful study of the Serbian-Bulgarian dispute, I have come to the conviction that the Macedonians, both by their history and by their language, are a distinct people, therefore neither Serbs nor Bulgarians, but direct descendants of those Slavic original settlers who had inhabited the Balkan Peninsula long before the Serbian and Bulgarian invasions, and who later did not mix with either of these two nations. By contrast, the Serbian nationality of the inhabitants of Rascia is beyond doubt, which is why my following remarks apply only to the inhabitants of Macedonia.

Drawing on historical records, linguistic analysis, and ethnographic research, the study highlights the unique features that distinguish Macedonian Slavs as a distinct ethnic group. It also discusses the impact of political movements and state policies on shaping and sometimes contesting this identity.

Overall, the book offers a detailed and scholarly investigation into the origins and development of Macedonian Slavic identity within the broader Balkan context.