Kaiser Franz Joseph I und die Serben 1848-1908
The Emperor Franz Joseph I and Serbs 1848-1908

Summary/Abstract: A century from death of Emperor Franz Joseph I (21.11.1916) triggered a great number of publications about life and almost seven decades long reign of a popular monarch. As the political struggle between Russia, Prussia, Italy and Ottoman Empire are depicted with moderation, Serbia is described unidimensional, with an emphasis on the last decade of Emperors rule. In order to remedy this shortcoming, this contribution is focusing on a period between 1848 and 1908. Today we know much more about relations between Franz Joseph and King Milan Obrenović, as well as with dignitaries of Serbian Orthodox Church, and military, academic and artistic elite. It is, therefore, possible to refute entrenched notions about constant enmity and hostility between Austria and Serbia. In this work, an emphasis is put on cooperation between Austria and Serbia from 1848, when Serbs at Emperors request held a number of important political and military positions, whereas Serbian artists took part in the reconstruction of Imperial Vienna. The university of Vienna hosted the oldest institute for slavistic (1849), becoming, therefore, a crossroad of the cultural and social development of the Balkans.

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