Prof. Jürgen Pirker took part in the panel discussion “Finding solutions. Dealing with national diversity in the 19th and 20th centuries from the Habsburg Monarchy to the European Union”, which was organized by the Austrian Parliament, with a presentation on ‘Individual legal approaches to the protection of minorities’.
National diversity within a state is a widespread phenomenon, both in the past and in the present. For centuries, most European states have been home to populations that speak different languages, practice different religions and/or identify as - or are defined as - a distinct ethnic group. Governments have pursued and continue to pursue different approaches in dealing with the linguistic, religious and cultural diversity of their populations, which were presented and discussed at the event.