The article contributes to the 'new' European regionalism by discussing the role that regional identity can play in regional development. It is based on the concept of 'regional identity' as the keystone of the institutionalization of the region and as consisting of two intertwined and complementary components: the regional consciousness of the inhabitants and the identity of a region. Through the heuristic study of relevant scholarly articles, the authors critically discuss six case studies from European countries dealing with the relationship between regional identity and regional development and published in the first decade of the new millennium. To date, research has examined the role of regional identity as both a successful and unsuccessful driver in regional development. From the case studies, a third possible role of regional identity is identified: regional identity as a barrier to regional development. Further, the article discusses the relationship between these three roles and attempts to identify factors causing the differentiation of the effects of regional identity in the context of regional development.

The contemporary regional geography paradigm is characterized by emphasizing the socially constructed nature of regions. However, the discussion on the conceptualization of region is very rich, it does not reach universal conclusion. Such a universal conceptualization is probably neither possible nor desirable. This paper aims to contribute to the ongoing discussion. It examines the various approaches towards region with special focus on the conceptualization of the institutionalization of the region based on the heuristic literature review and it attempts to propose more complex (but not ultimate) theoretical conceptualization of region that should enable to bridge the duality of region; addressed as an "animate", constantly changing, phenomenon which also makes it a resource for regional actors to meet their particular goals, one that people may perceive and feel attached to while further mediating their images thereof. The paper builds upon the Lefebvre's theory of the societal production of space and the Paasi's theory of the institutionalization of region and presents the idea of the societal production of region. It argues that any complex approach to region must incorporate three levels of region: "given" (practice of region), "made" (representation of region) and "perceived" (idea of region). Better understanding of the concept of region is still more necessary and relevant especially due to the increasing pressure on the applicability of regional research. Thus, the paper suggests the closer insight into the interrelation of three mentioned levels of region is crucial from the view of the contemporary state of art. This text is also published in Czech as the official on-line supplement of the article.

Since 1980s, we can observe a changing paradigm within the approaches towards regions which understand and deconstruct the “region” as a social process. Instead of understanding the region as an object or a category, this change transforms the region into a subject of interest for scholars. The study of regions is from now on considered a research topic which requires a holistic understanding of geography, broad interdisciplinary approaches as well as local and historical sensitivity. The paper is using a conceptual understanding of a region based on the combination of territorial, symbolic and institutional configurations. Regional identity that permeates through all of these layers is viewed as one of the most important elements of the very existence of the region and its recognition in the regional system. This paper contributes to the discussion on the importance of regional identity in regional development. The case study of the Bohemian Paradise region proves the significant influence of landscape features on the process of regional identity reproduction.

History is a construct based on the reselection, reconstruction and reinterpretation of past events in order to validate former, present, as well as future actions of actors. Therefore, there is no single history but rather many histories based on different ways of reinterpretation. The reinterpretation of history plays an important role in the process of regional identity formation. In this paper we aim to examine how and to what extent the relatively new ad hoc regions -Local Action Groups (LAGs) -in Czechia use history and historical and historicizing elements to present the region's image, and how LAGs reinterpret history in order to foster a sense of territorial togetherness among inhabitants. The research had two phases. In the first phase, we evaluated the primary presentation of all 180 LAGs. While in the second one, more detailed analysis was performed on the strategies of selected LAGs towards the reinterpretation of history. In general, we can conclude that LAGs work with history and historical themes only to a limited extent. However, some LAGs use actively history. The paper identifies three ways of reinterpretation of history engaged in the process of regional identity formation: regional patriotic, critical and conciliatory.

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