Perhaps that is why some Estonians made their own claim for the Center of Europe. It can also put a place quite literally on the map. Being at the Center of Europe conveys a certain amount of prestige that is otherwise lacking in such places as Lithuania and Belarus. They do not discriminate, any nation that was once behind the Iron Curtain, still is in many people’s mind. Such stereotypes are harsh and unforgiving. My suspicion is that both designation and defense of the claims are a sign of deep rooted insecurities.Īll the claims are made by nations located in what is classified from a geopolitical standpoint as Eastern Europe, which connotes a certain level of authoritarian government, endemic corruption, and economic backwardness. It also says a great deal about the countries and empires that made these claims. The designation is both trivial and prestigious. Those nations and empires that have claimed the Center of Europe is located on their territory, all wanted to be at the center of Europe in some way, shape or form. Some of this makes sense and none of it makes sense. When it comes to the Center of Europe national self-interest trumps the scientific in all but one case and that was in Lithuania by way of France. A Pole put it in Poland, a couple of Belarusians in Belarus, Hungarians in Hungary, Austro-Hungarians in Austria-Hungary not once, but twice.
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