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Inclusion and Exclusion: The Role of Photography in the Nation-Building Process in Bulgaria
as retoucher and became a photographer, but there are almost no photographs per¬
sonally signed by her. Ivan and Dimitar studied in different eastern and western Eu¬
ropean cities and had many work stays in Vienna, Paris, Berlin, and Venice (Pecev
1971; Boev 1983; Parvanova 2010). Photographs of Ivan and Dimitar were published
in different magazines such as Illustration, Daily News, and Illustrated London News
(Boev 1983: 112). The brothers trained in their own studios new photographers—
Bulgarians as well as foreigners, such as Ksenofont Smrikarov, Ferdinand Grabner,
and Moritz Kurtz/Curtius (Popsavova 1984: 24).
The mobility roads of the third generation of the Karastoyanov family—sons of
Dimitar and Rayna: Bogdan and Bozhidar Karastoyanov, who also became pho¬
tographers—were multidirectional too. After finishing his studies at Robert College
in Istanbul, Bogdan (“Boncho”; 1899-1962) studied photochemistry in Berlin and
art photography in Paris, where he worked as a senior cameraman in the “Valery”
studio. Returning to Bulgaria in 1927, he became a member of the Bulgarian Pho¬
toclub and in 1938, court photographer. Bozhidar (1903-1956) studied photogra¬
phy in Paris and Vienna and worked in the studio of G. L. Fréres Manuel in Paris
(Parvanova 2010: 216-217).
‘The lives of the Karastoyanov family were integrated into different networks and
interwoven systems; their interaction and communication connections were with
different parts of the world. The photographic work of all three generations was
embedded in a broader European context.
The Nation-State Movement: Revolutionists and Fighters for Liberty
In the course of the political development in the eighteenth and nineteenth cen¬
turies in Europe, the nation-state succeeded and the nation was emphasized as the
central sign of a “civilized” political organization. In the civilization process, which
was understood as a one-way linear development, the state came to play a decisive
role. An example of this understanding was expressed by Hegel (1821), who de¬
fined the “transition (of a nation) from a family, a horde, a clan, a multitude, etc.,
to political conditions ... with objective law and an explicitly established rational
constitution” as the only way to secure recognition “in its own eyes and in the eyes
of others” (§ 349). “The same consideration justifies civilised nations in regarding
and treating as barbarians those who lag behind them in institutions which are
the essential moments of the state” (§ 351). The development of the national move¬
ments in southeastern Europe was integrated into the west European and central
European intellectual, social, economic, and political development (Todorova 1997;
Kassabova 2002).
The stay of Anastas Karastoyanov under the name Anastas Stojanovié in Bel¬
grade (1862-1877) coincided with one of the most dynamic periods of the Bulgarian
national-revolutionary movement. The independence movement developed under
the leadership of the well educated urban middle-class, whose power and influence
were increasing.
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