1. The Balkans: Nomen -- 2. "Balkans" as self-designation -- 3. The discovery of the Balkans -- 4. Patterns of perception until 1900 -- 5. From discovery to invention, from invention to classification -- 6. Between classification and politics: the Balkans and the myth of Central Europe -- 7. The Balkans: Realia - Qu'est-ce qu'il y a de hors-texte?