From Empire to nation state The Habsburg Empire collapsed at the end of the First World War, to be replaced by separate nation states across central and eastern Europe. How did society change in this new context? What norms and practices from the Habsburg era were carried over into the post-1918 era? These questions are central to the work of the Nepostrans project, as Dr Gábor Egry explains. The collapse of
the Habsburg Empire in 1918 following defeat in the First World War led to a dramatic shift in the social and political landscape across Central and Eastern Europe, as the previous imperial structure was replaced by nation states. As the Principal Investigator of the Nepostrans project, Dr Gábor Egry aims to investigate the nature of this transition from Empire to nation state. “In the project we are looking for both signs of continuity and also signs of rupture in institutional and cultural practice,” he outlines. While the primary focus in the project is on the post-imperial transition, researchers are also using material dating back to before 1918, in order to build a deeper picture of the practices and habits of both people and states. “We’re looking at how these local societies and administrations operated, what kind of individual relations mattered in that context? What were the important local institutions and what were of secondary importance?” explains Dr Egry.
Nepostrans project This research involves extensive analysis of material and documents available from local and national archives in nine regions and the different national capitals, from which Dr Egry and his colleagues hope to gain new insights into how society and institutions changed following the end of the Habsburg Empire. The Empire itself originated in the 13th century, and while its borders shifted over time, it still covered vast expanses of territory across central and eastern Europe at the start of the First World War in 1914. “The Habsburg Empire was very heterogenous in terms of people, culture and language,” says Dr Egry. The Empire functioned as a dual monarchy from the latter part of the 19th century, with some areas administered from Vienna, and others from Budapest. “There was a dual centre. Different areas were often treated differently by the centre in terms of the application of certain legal frameworks and political relations,” continues Dr Egry. “Which social groups were integrated into the Imperial framework and which were excluded? This question is partly related to the political and cultural background.”
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From Karlovy Vary to Kotor, From Bregenz to Brașov and Trieste to Lviv.
Researchers aim to investigate these types of questions through analysis of archival material, then look to identify continuities in the post-1918 era, as well as any ruptures. The institutional position, and the development of new modes of governance, is one topic Dr
Plans for the statue of King Ferdinand in Caransebeș, Romania to be erected on the pedestal of the former Francis Joseph statue. Photo made by Gabor Egry
Egry and his colleagues are addressing in the project. “Who were the faces of the state? Who represented the state? Who tried to shape the state?” he outlines. The way in which a state was built helped to shape perceptions of the authorities and their wider role. “If there is a friendly face behind a desk in a state office, then that’s very different to meeting somebody who adopts a very dismissive attitude towards you from the moment they meet you. It gives people a very different impression of the state,” points out Dr Egry. “As an individual you may encounter people who are more or less efficient, but the inner workings of the state can still be similarly revealing. We’re interested not just in individual attitudes, but also certain ideas about how the state should operate when it encounters the people and faces society.” The attitude of state officials towards the wider population helped to shape public attitudes and perceptions of its legitimacy, another topic of interest in the project. Researchers are looking at the legitimising aspects of statehood, how the state perceived itself and how it actually functioned. “What kind of influence did
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