I have long been fascinated with Hungarians. Relegated to the second place in the Austro-Hungarian empire, they have been largely forgotten as a force in their own right. The same is true of Hungary as a country. The history of the Balkans usually skirts it. Austria, Turkey, and Venice are central to the history of much of former Yugoslavia, but Hungary is customarily mentioned only in passing. Thus I was delighted to find this morning a history book that separates Austria and Hungary with a comma rather than hyphen.[1] I bought it at once. Only afterwards I learned that the author teaches history at Oxford. Anyhow, even a cursory look through the twelve essays that form the book shows that the comma is well placed. Austrians and Hungarians are not one and the same. Far from it. Neither are Serbs, Croats, or Romanians. Well before starting my reading, I feel elated. With some luck, my fascination with Hungarians will lead to a much better understanding of the Balkans.

Footnote

1. Evans, R.J.W., Austria, Hungary, and the Habsburgs: Essays on Central Europe, c. 1683-1867, Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006.