Multicultural Identities in a Europe of Regions. The case of Banat County

The county of Banat is situated in the western extremity of Romania, an area where several populations cohabit: Romanians, Germans, Magyars, Serbs, Croats, Jews, Bulgarians, Slovaks, Bohemians, Roma (Gypsies) and Turks. This region is also the site of confessional encounters between Orthodox Christians, Catholics, Calvinists, Jews and Muslims. The society that has developed in Banat from the 18th century onwards is the product of an exchange of opinions and material values. This study examines these phenomena historically and at present, as well as the resulting consequences for intercultur‐ally oriented education today. The paper focuses on the following topics: the past and the present of the multi‐ethnic, multi‐linguistic, and multi‐confessional configuration of the region, social intercourse between the majority and minorities and between minorities, the educational significance of interculturalism in Banat County and in Romania. The paper also suggests ways in which intercultural education might be promoted.