Imagining Romania spatially and bodily: «national locus» and «national body» as inventing traditions of Romanian identity in the second half of the 19th century

Abstract

The author analyzes problems of early modern Romanian identity in context of development of «national locus» and «national body» concepts. The tactics and strategies of formation and promotion of identity are analyzed. Romanian poets and intellectuals were the main formators of Romanian identity. The author presumes that ideas of homeland, Roman-Romanian continuity, struggle against external enemies formed the core of early Romanian identity. Secondary school system also promoted unification and rise of serial Romanian national identity. The concepts of Romanian «national locus» and «national body» were formed during the second half of the 19th century. The evolution of collective representations about national body and locus has not ended by the beginning of the 20th century that assisted to radicalization of Romanian political class and actualized war scenario of national body and locus institutionalization.