Religious Diversity in the Early Modern Balkans: Jewish Otherness and Catholic Confession-Building from Venetian Dalmatia to Ottoman Bulgaria
CERES-Palais, Raum "Ruhrpott" (4.13)
Dr. Lena Sadovski (Austrian Academy of Sciences)
This lecture explores the religious diversity and interreligious dynamics in Southeastern Europe between the 15th and the 18th century. The Balkans have long been – and continue to be – a region marked by profound complexity in terms of politics, language, ethnicity, and religion. This diversity will be illustrated through two case studies, drawing on an extensive range of archival materials from Venice, Zadar, the Vatican Apostolic Archive, and the archives of Propaganda Fide and the Inquisition. We will see how Jewish otherness persisted in Venetian Dalmatia – and how it could be weaponized – despite conversion and deep integration into the local Catholic society. Moving from west to east, the second case study addresses the Catholics in Ottoman Bulgaria, who lived under Muslim rule within a majority Orthodox Christian society. Here, we will investigate how the missionaries attempted to enforce ‘correct’ Catholic beliefs and practices when confronted with ‘schismatic’ or ‘pagan’ rituals such as animal sacrifice. Ultimately, the talk will highlight the everyday significance of religion and religious identity in these diverse and contested spaces.
