INTERCULTURAL ASPECTS AND TOLERANCE IN THE BANAT COUNTY

The aim of this paper is to present the outcome of our researches regarding the spirit of tolerance in the Banat County. It is a personal overview (based on official documents and other bibliographical sources) of those aspects of the history of multicultural environment in Banat, which may be an explanation for the spirit of tolerance, cooperation, good relations. This attitude could be considered an inspiration for the rest of the country. The article describes the situation before 1989, when, according to the census, besides the local Romanians, there were also lots of Germans (Schwaben), Hungarians, Serbians, Italians, and Jews. After the events of 1989, the ethnic structure of the Banat County has changed – most of the Germans, Italians, and Jews have left the country and so did a lot of highly-skilled Romanians, who emigrated to Germany, Austria, the U.S.A., Australia and mainly Canada.