• Digital Humanities and Cultural Heritage
• Publications close
• SK close
• Austrian History Yearbook close

It is Difficult to find fault with Peter Bugge's study, which is based on a very solid knowledge of the most important literature and sources. For many centuries, the citizens of Bratislava (Pressburg/Pozsony) had lived their own lives, which were only minimally touched by ethnic or national conflicts. Their mentality was best reflected by an anecdote published in the Pressburger Zeitung in 1919, shortly before Czechoslovakia's first census:Two “Pressburger” met in the street.“What nationality will you declare on the census? Are you a German?” the first one asks.“I am not a German,” answers the second.“Will you declare yourself a Magyar?”“No, I am not a Magyar.”“Then you must be a Slovak.”“No, I am not a Slovak.”“And what nationality are you actually?”“I am a Pressburgeaner.”

Because of the various factors in the Austro-Hungarian monarchy which retarded the development of Slovak culture and science, Slovak historians have, on the whole, only during the past few decades begun to examine historical problems from a broad perspective. Consequently, it is by no mere accident that the problem to which part of the attention of this conference is being devoted—the Slovak political movement as a disintegrating force in the Habsburg monarchy—is relatively new to Slovak historiography. Until now it has not been examined from a broad perspective, if only because of the many different historical, political, social, and economic ingredients which were involved in turning nationalism into a significant disintegrating force. Slovak writers have, however, made various studies of the nationality problem—a problem which has ever since the eighteenth century been the most sensitive issue in Slovak history. Certain of these studies have thrown light on both the integrating and disintegrating: forces of the monarchy—two forces which are realy interdependent.