Goce Delchev

Ethnicity of Goce Delchev

As most of the events and developments in late 19th century Macedonia, the national and ethnic affiliations of Goce Delchev are a contentious issue. In some of his correspondence he discribed himself as a Bulgarian, yet he also embraced the idea of a common Macedonian autonomous state uniting the different ethnicities in the region. The heterogenuous elements in his statements and work have resulted in his treatment as an ethnic Bulgarian by Bulgarian historians and as an ethnic Macedonian by historians from the Republic of Macedonia. The latter argue that the use of the word "Bulgarian" in the 19th century Macedonia does not refer to ethnicity, and that it was synonymous with "Christian" or "Slav". Bulgarian historians argue that the Macedonian autonomy was never meant to have an "ethnic Macedonian" nature and note that no distinction between a "Macedonian" and "Bulgarian" existed at that time pointing to the use of "Adrianopolitan" alongside "Macedonian" in the documents of the IMARO. The article on Macedonians provides insight into the some of the ethno-historic complexities of the region.

Related Topics:
IMARO - Macedonians

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