Migrating Memories


Book Description

Romanian Germans, mainly from the Banat and Transylvania, have occupied a place at the very heart of major events in Europe in the twentieth century yet their history is largely unknown. This east-central European minority negotiated their standing in a difficult new European order after 1918, changing from uneasy supporters of Romania, to zealous Nazis, tepid Communists, and conciliatory Europeans. Migrating Memories is the first comprehensive study in English of Romanian Germans and follows their stories as they move across borders and between regimes, revealing a very European experience of migration, minorities, and memories in modern Europe. After 1945, Romanian Germans struggled to make sense of their lives during the Cold War at a time when the community began to fracture and fragment. The Revolutions of 1989 seemed to mark the end of the German community in Romania, but instead Romanian Germans repositioned themselves as transnational European bridge-builders, staking out new claims in a fast-changing world.




The Medieval Networks in East Central Europe


Book Description

Medieval Networks in East Central Europe explores the economic, cultural, and religious forms of contact between East Central Europe and the surrounding world in the eight to the fifteenth century. The sixteen chapters are grouped into four thematic parts: the first deals with the problem of the region as a zone between major power centers; the second provides case studies on the economic and cultural implications of religious ties; the third addresses the problem of trade during the state formation process in the region, and the final part looks at the inter- and intraregional trade in the Late Middle Ages. Supported by an extensive range of images, tables, and maps, Medieval Networks in East Central Europe demonstrates and explores the huge significance and international influence that East Central Europe held during the medieval period and is essential reading for scholars and students wishing to understand the integral role that this region played within the processes of the Global Middle Ages.




Across the Danube: Southeastern Europeans and Their Travelling Identities (17th–19th C.)


Book Description

The Danube has been a border and a bridge for migrants and goods since antiquity. Between the 17th and the 19th centuries, commercial networks were formed between the Ottoman Empire and Central and Eastern Europe creating diaspora communities. This gradually led to economic and cultural transfers connecting the Mediterranean, the Black Sea, and the Continental world of commerce. The contributors to the present volume offer different perspectives on commerce and entrepreneurship based on the interregional treaties of global significance, on cultural and ecclesiastical relations, population policy and demographical aspects. Questions of identity, family, and memory are in the centre of several chapters as they interact with the topographic and socio-anthropological territoriality of all the regions involved. Contributors are: Constantin Ardeleanu, Iannis Carras, Lidia Cotovanu, Lyubomir Georgiev, Olga Katsiardi-Hering, Dimitrios Kontogeorgis, Nenad Makuljević, Ikaros Mantouvalos, Anna Ransmayr, Vaso Seirinidou, Maria A. Stassinopoulou.




Conservation and Sustainability in Historic Cities


Book Description

Conservation and Sustainability in Historic Cities examines how the two key issues of urban conservation and sustainability relate to each other in the context of historic cities, and how they can be brought together in a common philosophy and practice that is mutually supportive. It sets out the theoretical and practical background to architectural conservation and how its perceived relevance and level of attainment can be extended when harnessed to wider agendas of sustainability and cultural identity. It tests the achievement of urban conservation through examples from across Europe and further afield and relates them to the sustainability agenda.




Essays on Lay and Ecclesiastical Communities in and Around the Medieval Urban Parish


Book Description

This book gives a definite contribution to a wide-ranging reflection on the medieval parish and the secular clergy, considered within a long-term chronological framework and a wide geographical scope that allows the analysis and confrontation of case studies from the Iberian kingdoms, Northern France, Italian Piedmont, Lombardy, Flanders, Transylvania, and North of the Holy Roman Empire. The chapters published in this book tells of dynamics of social, religious, and cultural exclusion and inclusion within lay communities, of the constitution of family elites and parish confraternities; it shows the composition and the recruitment rationales of the parish clergy and of some ecclesiastical chapters with a duty of Cura animarum; it examines the relations of the churches and parochial clergy with more prominent – secular and regular – ecclesiastical institutions in the context of the establishment and exercise of the right of patronage; finally, it explores the role of the secular clergy in the application of justice, based on the characterization of their cultural and juridical formation.




Above the Abyss


Book Description

The book focuses on the threat to free self-development and the effort to ward off a perceived threat of extinction as well as the development of self-preservation forces. The challenges for ethnic and religious minorities in the 19th–21st centuries are explained and unfolded against the historical background that serves as a frame of reference. The royal privileges granted in medieval Hungary were abolished in the mid-19th century. The German-speaking people’s church (Saxones) in Transylvania founded on this had to reorient itself, although a pioneer region of religious freedom had established itself behind the “Ottoman Curtain”. Since the reception of the Reformation, the “Saxones” had been Protestant. At the end of the 19th century, after the Austro-Hungarian Compromise, this minority realised the concept of cultural Protestantism in its purest form: ethnicity and religion were understood to be congruent. Homogeneity of society was the ideal, and affiliation with the German Empire was intensified. Economy, science, culture, language as well as school and church were understood as a unity; segregation and emigration were frowned upon. This concept fell into crisis due to various developments, including economic ones – especially after the annexation of Romania in 1918. National Socialism was widely adopted, along with anti-Semitism. For exponents of the church leadership, the Confessio Augustana only served as a label. On the one hand, external pressure under communist rule brought about a (only conditionally possible) retraditionalisation, on the other hand, it led to the bleeding out of the congregations due to increased emigration. Free development has only started again since the political upheaval in 1989. The church, which has become small, conveys important impulses and serves as a bridge to ecumenism.




Cities and Economy in Europe


Book Description

Exploring new perspectives concerning regions traditionally considered “on the margins” of Europe, this book fills a gap in current historiography through its analysis of cities, space, and economy from the High Middle Ages to the present. Markets, trade, and economy in general have formed the backbone of urban life ever since the emergence of cities and towns, but classical theorists have largely focused on developments in Western Europe. Urban research in the last few decades has advanced in many ways to supersede and correct this still influential image and to include other parts of Europe into the analytical framework. Building on these emerging methodologies, this volume pays close attention to the fringes of Europe in the East, North, West, and South. The essays discuss the development of various spaces as nodal points for the exchange and production of commodities that took place in cities and towns. The scope of this work allows for a point of comparison to frequently studied examples in Europe, encouraging readers to identify larger patterns beyond individual examples. Cities and Economy in Europe: Markets and Trade on the Margins from the Middle Ages to the Present is the perfect resource for students and researchers of economic and urban history.




The Rough Guide to Romania: Travel Guide eBook


Book Description

This Romania guidebook is perfect for independent travellers planning a longer trip. It features all of the must-see sights and a wide range of off-the-beaten-track places. It also provides detailed practical information on preparing for a trip and what to do on the ground. And this Romania travel guidebook is printed on paper from responsible sources, and verified to meet the FSC’s strict environmental and social standards. This Romania guidebook covers: Bucharest, Moldavia, Wallachia, Transylvania and the Danube Delta. Inside this Romania travel book, you’ll find: A wide range of sights – Rough Guides experts have hand-picked places for travellers with different needs and desires: off-the-beaten-track adventures, family activities or chilled-out breaks Itinerary examples – created for different time frames or types of trip Practical information – how to get to Romania, all about public transport, food and drink, shopping, travelling with children, sports and outdoor activities, tips for travellers with disabilities and more Author picks and things not to miss in Romania – bear- and wolf-tracking, Merry Cemetery, Wooden Churches of Maramureş, Timișoara, Peleş Castle, Black Sea, Bucharest, Constantin Brâncuși, Danube Delta, fortified churches Insider recommendations – tips on how to beat the crowds, save time and money, and find the best local spots When to go to Romania – high season, low season, climate information and festivals Where to go – a clear introduction to Romania with key places and a handy overview Extensive coverage of regions, places and experiences – regional highlights, sights and places for different types of travellers, with experiences matching different needs Places to eat, drink and stay – hand-picked restaurants, cafes, bars and hotels Practical info at each site – hours of operation, websites, transit tips, charges Colour-coded mapping – with keys and legends listing sites categorised as highlights, eating, accommodation, shopping, drinking and nightlife Background information for connoisseurs – history, culture, art, architecture, film, books, religion, diversity Essential Romanian dictionary and glossary of local terms Fully updated post-COVID-19 The guide provides a comprehensive and rich selection of places to see and things to do in Romania, as well as great planning tools. It’s the perfect companion, both ahead of your trip and on the ground.




The Rough Guide to Romania


Book Description

The Rough Guide to Romania is the definitive guidebook to one of Europe's most fascinating, scenic, and enigmatic countries. A full-color introduction highlights all the must-see sights, from the wilds of the Carpathian mountains to the marvelous Delta wetlands, and references the country's many unique festivals. Two full-color sections describe the country's extraordinary religious architecture and its many outdoor activities-from mountain hikes and skiing to bear and wolf tracking. This comprehensive guide includes informed background on Romania's history, wildlife, literature, music, and, of course, Dracula. Reviews of top hotel and restaurant options cover every taste and budget. Accurate maps and comprehensive practical information help you get under the skin of Romania, while stunning photography makes this your ultimate traveling companion. Make the most of your time with The Rough Guide to Romania.




Medieval Art, Architecture and Archaeology in Cracow and Lesser Poland


Book Description

This book explores the medieval art, architecture and archaeology of the city of Cracow and the surrounding region of Lesser Poland. It highlights the role of Cracow and Lesser Poland as a vibrant artistic centre fostering links with Italy, Bohemia, Germany and France.