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SAN ANTONIO, Tex. — “When you go back home, don't tell your friends that you visited the United States. Tell them that you were in Texas.”

That was the comment of a smiling shopkeeper in San Antonio. After spending a couple of days in Texas it was not surprising to hear. It was becoming very clear that there was something very special about this state — at least about how Texans view their own history.

It was the period of independence and the battle of the Alamo that were emphasized at the Bob Bullock Texas State History Museum in Austin, the state capital. Almost one-third of the space was dedicated to showing the process that led to Texas’ secession from Mexico, its war for independence and nine years of self government, from 1836 to1845.

In many history books Texas’ independence has been portrayed simply as an inevitable transition period to joining the United States. But some Texans feel differently about it.

“Texans are unique in the United States in their devotion to the notion that being from Texas makes you special. The independence period is part of that,” explained Robert W. Jensen, an associate professor in the School of Journalism at the University of Texas in Austin. “Texas mythology is the most intense I’ve ever seen in the country.”

The battle of the Alamo is a fascinating example of how a lost fight has been portrayed as a symbol of victory.

In 1836, Mexican President Antonio Lopez de Santa Ana and his troops destroyed the fort at the Alamo 4 days after Texas declared its independence from Mexico. Altogether 188 people — who wanted to get rid of Mexican central government rule — got killed inside the fort. Their defeat may have been a crucial element for heightening resolve to defeat the Mexican troops a month-and-a-half later. But as a defensive battle it was a blunder.

However, it would have been a sacrilege for a visitor to say that aloud at the historical site Texans refer to as ”a shrine.”

The whole scene in San Antonio reminded me of how the Serbs have been using the historic battle of Kosovo Polje to fuel their nationalistic feelings. Being beaten by the Ottomans in the 14th century in the heartland of Serbian self-esteem, Prince Lazar’s defeat was used in the war propaganda of the 1990s. It was an easy anachronism to portray the lost battle as a symbol of how other nations have victimized and crushed the Serbian nation over centuries.

The story of the Alamo is not fully comparable with the Balkans experience. Texans are not likely to ignite a civil war in the United States like the notorious president Slobodan Milosevic did in Slovenia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Kosovo. Texans only want to underline their speciality with a few biased historical details.

But what is the lesson to learn from Europe’s dark past? History should be confronted as open-mindedly as possible. If the past is viewed only through heroical myths, it becomes a political tool and prevents people from criticizing — and more importantly learning from —their own history.

Professor Jensen pointed out that there were still some issues that Americans need to confront. “Few white people in the U.S. have ever come to terms with the genocide of indigenous people and the real horrors of slavery,” he said.