Paper short abstract:

The paper explores how the notions of living on the frontier of Europe and being "in-between" the East and the West influence the work of astrophysicists in Serbia.

Paper long abstract:

Serbia has gone through turbulent times in the past decades. The fall of communism and breakup of Yugoslavia, as well as the rise of nationalism, have affected the country and its people in numerous ways. It can be said that Serbia is both politically and ideologically situated on the European frontier, "in between" the West and the East, a notion which translates into all aspects of culture, including scientific practice.

The paper is based on ethnographic research conducted at the Belgrade Astronomical Observatory during 2016-2018 period. The research focuses on scientific practice as a specific aspect of culture. As such, astrophysics in Serbia can be viewed as a product of numerous socio-political circumstances in addition to base scientific research. The main circumstances that shape scientific work at the Belgrade Astronomical Observatory are: economy (funding), historical aspects of post-socialism and a strong cultural notion of being on the frontier.

As a result of this dynamic, astronomers in Serbia feel the need to prove themselves to the Western scientific community and to seek Western approval in order to make their work relevant. This is a direct consequence of existing on the frontier of Europe and the ambivalence of being "in between" the East and the West. The paper explores how Serbian astronomers navigate this "in-betweenness".