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Majority and minority relations in the period 1940-1960 in a mixed village of Thrace: (Master thesis)

Δραγανίδου, Αποστολία/ Draganidou, Apostolia

The present work was prepared with the aim of investigating the developed relations between Christians and Muslims in the village of Messouni, Rodopi during the period 1940-1960. Highlighting the beliefs and readings of the ethnic Greek Christians about the relations that existed with the Muslim residents of the village during that period is also the purpose of this specific work. The conducted research is qualitative and the ethnographic approach was followed for its implementation. The data were collected from the eight interviews with people born in the period of 1940 and who lived their childhood together with the Muslims. They were processed with the help of Empirical Grounded Theory, where the information was coded into categories and then the Discourse Analysis method was followed. For a more reliable and holistic understanding of the data by the interviews, a search was also conducted in the archives of G. S. A. – Archives of Prefecture of Rodopi. The results showed that the relations between the two ethnic groups were very friendly. Various social events, such as celebrations and weddings, but also their daily interactions in the fields, in cafes and during the children’s games, were an occasion for the reconciliation of cultural elements, acceptance of the other’s culture and a “bridge of connection” of the people’s culture. However, the different political events, interests and beliefs of the state exerted pressures in various forms with the ultimate goal of the Muslims fleeing to Turkey. Friendship and love, though, know no borders and thus the visits of one ethnic group to the other’s land did not stop.