For Europe, the Southeast part of the continent, ruled by the Ottoman Empire, was forgotten for centuries. Under the concept of “European Turkey” or “European Orient”, it came to the attention of European policymakers when Serbia’s aspirations for independence began to be noticed in 1804. Felix Philipp Kanitz, a renowned 19th-century Balkan scholar, published extensively on Serbian and Balkan history. His lavishly illustrated ethnographic works shaped Western narratives, especially in the German-speaking world. His voluminous documentation of Serbian lands helped to integrate the Southeast into the image of the “Danube Monarchy”, presenting the region as historically and culturally rich and considering his work as a collaboration with the local population. His extended posthumous edition of Serbia from 1868 further enhanced his influence and provided an invaluable insight into the growing political interest in the Balkans at the turn of the century. At that time, Mary Edith Durham was a prominent explorer of the Balkans. Like Kanitz before her, she used her artistic skills and ethnographic observations to document life in Serbia, Montenegro, Kosovo and Albania, making her work accessible and influential in the English-speaking world.