Moravians

Moravian tribe

The Moravians (Old Slavic self-designation Moravljane,^[7] Slovak: Moravania, Czech: Moravané) were a West Slavic tribe in the Early Middle Ages. Although it is not known exactly when the Moravian tribe was founded, Czech historian Dušan Třeštík claimed the tribe was formed between the turn of the 6th century to the 7th century, around the same time as the other Slavic tribes.^[8]

In the 9th century, Moravians settled mainly around the historic Region of Moravia and Western Slovakia, but also in parts of central-southern Poland, and Lower Austria (up to the Danube) The first known mention of the Moravians was in the Annales Regni Francorum in 822 AD. The tribe was located by the Bavarian Geographer between the tribe of the Bohemians and the tribe of the Nitrans.^{[citation needed]}

In the 9th century, Moravians gained control over neighbouring Nitra and founded the Realm of Great Moravia, ruled by the Mojmír dynasty until the 10th century. At times, the empire controlled even other neighboring regions, including Bohemia and parts of present-day Hungary, Poland and Ukraine. It emerged into one of the most powerful states in Central Europe.^{[citation needed]}

After the breakup of the Moravian Realm, the Moravian tribe was under the rule of the new state of Bohemia. Moravians were assimilated by the Czechs and presently identify as Czechs. The modern nation of the Slovaks was formed out of the nitran tribe within the Kingdom of Hungary.^[9]

Moravians within the Czech lands

Bretislaus I, Duke of Bohemia, in solving the succession question in his will (he had five sons) decided to completely reorganize Moravia, so that it should be governed by the younger sons of the royal family. It was still considered one country, but from an objective standpoint it was weakened, and Moravia could not lead to the formation of the medieval "nation" as quickly as in Bohemia. The way leading to the differentiation of the Moravians from the Czechs was caused by political and economic changes of the late 12th and early 13th century. Czech historical tradition was grown in Moravia during the Middle Ages, for example Czech Chronicles was reread and distributed.^{[citation needed]}

Until the beginning of the 20th century, the Slavic-speaking inhabitants of Moravia publicly identified themselves as Moravians, not Czechs.^[10] Then, for fear of Germanization, Moravians would begin to publicly refer to themselves as Moravian Czechs — joining a stronger neighbour. But internally they still felt their nationality (for example, here^{[11][12][13][14][15]}). Slovaks (and by extension, Rusyns^[16]) were considered as Czechs by politicians, too.^[17] In the Czechoslovak and communist eras, Moravian nationality would be banned,^[18] so for the first time since the fall of the dangers of Germanization (1945), Moravian nationality appeared in the 1991 census.

After the Velvet Revolution a strong political movement to reinstate the Moravian-Silesian land (země Moravskoslezská in Czech, since it was one of the four lands of Czechoslovakia between 1928 and 1939, was active in Moravia. Accordingly, the officially-united Czech ethnicity was split in line with the historical division of the Czech Republic into Bohemia, Moravia and Czech Silesia (the Czech lands). Some of the Czech-speaking inhabitants of Moravia declared Moravian ethnicity, and some of the Czech speaking inhabitants of Czech Silesia declared Silesian ethnicity.^{[citation needed]}

There were 1,363,000 citizens of the Czechoslovakia who declared Moravian ethnicity in 1991. However, the number dropped to 380,474 in the 2001 census: many persons previously declaring themselves as Moravians declared themselves again as Czechs in this census. In 2011, the number increased again to 630 897. The strongest sense of patriotism towards Moravia is found in the environs of Brno, the former capital of Moravia. However, the results of the census are skewed by the fact that most Moravians do not know that they can sign up for the Moravian nationality, but would use the option, according to a 2011 survey.^{[citation needed]}

Only in the first years after the Velvet Revolution in 1989 did a few Moravian political parties seem to be able to gain some success in elections. However, they lost much of their strength around the time of the dissolution of Czechoslovakia in 1993 when Czechoslovakia peacefully split into the Czech Republic and Slovak Republic.^{[citation needed]}

According to the 2011 census, the percentage of people without religion was the lowest in the Moravian Zlín Region, followed by the partly-Bohemian, partly-Moravian, Vysočina Region; the South Moravian Region; the Moravian-Silesian Region; and the predominantly-Moravian Olomouc Region.^[19]

Choice of nationality in the population census

Since the 1991 census, following the establishment of complete freedom to choose one's nationality (under the Charter of Fundamental Rights and Freedoms, individuals may subjectively choose any nationality regardless of its objective existence or non-existence),^[32][33][34] respondents in the Czech Republic have also been able to declare a distinct Moravian nationality.^[35]

The number of people identifying as Moravian in subsequent censuses fluctuated considerably and never again reached the 1991 level.^[36] There was a sharp decline in 2001,^[37] a moderate increase in 2011, and another decline in 2021.^[38] Currently, a total of 549,373 people (including those declaring dual nationality) identify as Moravian, while the majority of Moravia's inhabitants identify as Czech.^[39]

Before the 2021 census, pro-Moravian activists conducted an information campaign highlighting the possibility of declaring Moravian nationality.^[40] Part of this campaign—specifically posters produced by the political party Moravané—became controversial because of what critics described as a radical and xenophobic tone.^[33]

Genetic differences

During an international study involving participants from the Czech Republic, researchers found that the genetic makeup of Europeans is related to their place of origin. As part of the study, researchers separately analyzed samples from people originating from Bohemia and Moravia. Regarding differences among smaller ethnic groups, the study found minor genetic differences between Czech citizens whose ancestry originated in Bohemia and those whose ancestry originated in Moravia. Researchers suggested that these differences may be explained by the distinct historical origins of the populations of Bohemia and Moravia, combined with the traditionally sedentary lifestyle of their ancestors, since most of the population in earlier centuries was closely tied to the land and moved relatively little.^[41][42]