Ungarisch-weißrussische Beziehungen im Mittelalter und zu Beginn der Neuzeit
Hungarian-Belorussian relations in the Middle Ages and at the beginning of modern times

Summary/Abstract: Belarus, young and still somewhat undefined nation that emerged after the collapse of the Soviet Union in 1991, of all its East European neighbours, has the least developed national historiographical tradition. Neither is it known as a separate entity. For many centuries, Belarus was a part of the Grand Duchy of Lithuania, which in 1569–1795 formed a confederation with Poland. Oleg Łatyszonek’s and Ales´ Bely’s article tries to restore the picture of historical relations between Belarus and Hungary in 13–17th centuries. Certain historical consistency can be seen: Hungarian interest in Belarus has always been connected to Hungarian claims to “Galicia et Lodomeria”, Halycz-Volhynia, mighty Ukrainian principality whose lands eventually fell prey to its neighbours. First possible trace of contacts between the Belarusian Principality of Polatsk and Hungary dates back to 1217/1218, and may be seen as a sign of alliance between Hungary, Suzdal and Polatsk, directed against Halycz-Volhynia. In the mid-14th century, Grand Duchy of Lithuania absorbed today’s Belarus and continued to expand southwards, which caused its clash with Hungary for the heritage of Halycz-Volhynia, including the SW Belarus (vicinity of Brest). Terra Alborum Ruthenorum is mentioned in several Hungarian accounts of these events, and it may be argued that the would-be political name of Belarus was coined by the Hungarians in 14th century. Another hypothesis links the origin of the ‘Double Cross’, one of the Belarusian national symbols, with the heraldic arms of the Kingdom of Hungary. Hungarian claims to the SW Belarus remained a stable geopolitical factor in the history of the region, and the last remarkable case of these claims was the Compact of Radnoth between Sweden and Transylvania that led to a short-term Hungarian occupation of Brest in 1657.

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