Balazs A. Szelenyi - The Failure of the Central European Bourgeoisie [2006]

This comprehensive study traces the history of over forty royal free towns from the sixteenth century to 1848 in the territories of what today are Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania. Szelényi argues that these towns have been a neglected feature of national meta-narratives in Eastern Europe because their dwellers were often German speakers. He calls for a serious reevaluation of urban development in Eastern Europe and for a new meta-narrative that focuses on the region through the lenses of the numerous ethnic diasporas.

Editorial Reviews
Review
“Balázs Szelényi’s study of the Royal Free Towns across the grand sweep of the Hungarian past is a splendid exercise in revisionist history. Richly grounded,
theoretically broad-gauged, and erudite, it brings East-Central Europe into a carefully focused comparative framework to challenge our most resilient assumptions about the social origins of democracy and dictatorship. While further dethroning the bourgeoisie as the necessary harbinger of progressive political goods, Szelényi shows brilliantly how its Hungarian particularities can be understood. Western European historians certainly need to read and reflect on this book.”-- Geoff Eley, Professor of History at the University of Michigan and author of A Crooked Line: From Cultural History to the History of Society

"A synthetic work of impressive scope on the vagaries of Hungarian urban civilization written in the style of Henri Pirenne or Francis Carsten. A fast moving and engaging narrative that will be as instructive for the specialist as for the average reader who has an interest in Hungary or the history of cities on the European Continent.”--Andrew C. Janos, Professor Emeritus of Political Science and Professor of the Graduate School, University of California, Berkeley.

"This stimulating, closely argued work is a fine contribution to the urban history of the region... Recommended." —CHOICE

About the Author
Balázs Szelényi is a Teaching Fellow at George Mason University. He has published articles in the American Historical Review, Austrian History Yearbook, Theory and Society, and has a forthcoming article in Past and Present.