Adam Mickiewicz and the Concept of the Ethnolinguistic Unity of the Slavs

"Adam Mickiewicz, the Polish romantic poet, perceived language not only as a tool for learning about the history and culture of the Slavs but also as a factor that can restore the unity of these seemingly different and dispersed peoples, who in reality have common roots and who form a single community under ethnic and civilizational considerations. Mickiewicz created the image of the Slavs’ identity in Paris lectures, when Austro-Slavism and southern pan-Slavism were slowly gaining momentum, also in reference to the process of language development and the dynamics of those changes. According to Mickiewicz, language and literature deserved to be called reliable and lasting links that connect the Slavic peoples. By proclaiming such an opinion, not only did he rise above the political divisions, but also he invalidated the sociocultural differences between the Slavs."