Българската диаспора в Унгария - аспекти на интеркултурния диалог

The article is a result from an extended study of the Bulgarian community in Hungary - mainly in Budapest and its outskirts. The study is representative because the cultural centers and institutions of the community are situated there; the main initiatives projecting Bulgarian identity in Hungarian society issue from there.The text gives both the external and internal perspective on constructing cultural memory and structuring intercultural dialogue: on the one hand - an analysis of the institutions’ actions, and on the other - stories from representatives of the diaspora.Since 1993, when Bulgarians were granted the status of national minority, a change has been observed in the relations between the diaspora and the metropolis. The Bulgarian community in Hungary has grown aware of its identity and demonstrates features of a specific social and cultural body, distinguishable from the Bulgarians in Bulgaria. The process of making roots in Hungary is a token of this consciousness, as are orientations towards positive and accepting societies. The past is interpreted as evidence of a long-lasting presence in Hungary. Achievements of the first settlers are treated as common inheritance. The diaspora creates an own system of symbols and a specific festive culture which reflect simultaneously both the Bulgarian origin and the life in Hungary.