The battle over renaming streets in Eastern Europe since the fall of communism reflects their importance as symbols of identity, history and power.
The invisibility of homosexuals and lesbians in public and social spheres is further slowing efforts to overcome homophobia in this conservative society.
In the ethnically homogenised communities of Bosnia and Croatia, mixed marriages are stigmatised as a symbol of a discredited way of life.
Thousands of young Roma who have spent years in Germany find it impossible to adapt when they’re forced to come back to a land that is no longer home.
Reform is coming too slowly to institutions for adults with intellectual and mental health disabilities in Bulgaria, Romania and Serbia, where chronic neglect, filthy conditions, and the use of physical restraints and high-dosage drugs to control behaviour remain routine.
Changing labour patterns in Western Europe are creating new opportunities for Balkan women who are ready to work abroad. A dream for some, it’s a nightmare for some of their families.
With their European culture and Islamic faith, Bosnian Muslims want to act as a bridge between East and West but instead feel rejected.
Following decades of enforced separation, Albanians are discussing how different they've become.
The drive to forge a new identity, as heir to the world of Classical Antiquity, creates identity crisis at home and worsens tensions with neighbours.
Fake identity cards can easily be obtained in Romania and Bulgaria, and many illegal migrants use them to reach Western Europe.
The collapse of the Iron Curtain in 1989 triggered a frenzied phase of nation-building in Eastern Europe, while some Balkan nations embarked on armed conflicts aimed at strengthening national, religious and cultural identities.