STEREOTYPE CARICATURES OF THE KIKERIKI AND WIENER CARICATUREN NEWSPAPERS ABOUT THE SECOND BALKAN WAR

Abstract

The paper examines different patterns of stereotypical typification of the Balkans and its peoples in the Viennese satirical papers Kikeriki and Wiener Caricaturen during the Second Balkan War. In addition to the analysis of the caricature performances of the immediate participants in the war, attention is also paid to the caricatures depicting the attitude of Austria-Hungary and Russia towards the events in the Balkans. The aim of the work was to identify and analyze models of placement of stereotypes and prejudices through caricatures with political and social themes about actors of the Second Balkan War. We noticed that in the caricatures about the actors of the Second Balkan War there were some general points. Although they were satirical papers with completely opposite editorial policies, they shared the same views on the most important issues of the Second Balkan War. Namely, pre-existing prejudices about certain countries and peoples were deepened and reinforced through caricatures. Thus, Serbia and King Petar were synonyms for immaturity, poverty and regicide. King Nicholas as a symbol of the rural Balkans was portrayed as a shameless beggar, while the most present was the mockery of the Bulgarian ruler, from his physical appearance to his political activities. Several examples have been used to ridicule the Romanian king as a hypocrite. This created a collective image of the Balkan rulers that was extremely negative, and everything fit into the existing general stereotype of Austrian public opinion about the “uncivilized” Balkans.