The article shows the social and cultural relevance of textbooks messages. More and more often the present notion is quoted in scientific and social–political literature. However, changes in contemporary societies caused by globalization and enhanced migrations place textbooks and their research as a significant element of European discourse. In the contemporary, increasingly diversified and multicultural Europe identity dilemmas arise. Frequently, they go along with reflection or even discourse about advantageous manners of socialization within education, which would support efforts aimed at defining common multicultural competence i.e. an effective platform of multicultural communication. One of numerous initiatives of this kind is textbook research. Textbooks as educational media form an important area of identity, multicultural and intercultural references, and monitoring their content if fully justifiable. Therefore, the present thesis is: Textbooks research forms a significant factor in the process of specifying multicultural competence, and enhancing communication itself between representatives of different cultures. The present issues falls into the research scope of the Institute for International Textbook Research (Das Georg Eckert Institut fuer international Schulbuchforschung GEI), since they open numerous questions concerning the education system and textbooks’contents, or general socialisation instructions on the European ground.