Berecz Mátyás - Rémiás Tibor (szerk.): Végvár társadalma a korszakváltás idején - Studia Agriensia 30. (Eger, 2012)

R. VÁRKONYI ÁGNES: Kontinuitás és diszkontinuitás: változatok Közép-Európára

Agnes R. Várkonyi

OF CONTINUITY AND DISCONTINUITY: VARIATIONS ON CENTRAL EUROPE

What has become of the fortresses, the society around boarder castles at the turn of the 17-18th centuries? The long timely answer, along with Hungarian historical writings, relating especially to recent times, is increasingly keeping the issue on the agenda. Answering objectively, and honestly, with the language of the 21st century is not easy. Handwritten historical records, the roster of the border garrison troops, are missing. Few biographies have been written about these members, the torso remains of the historical oeuvre along with the collection of raw materials. It should be known the mechanism of historical change, and also that of how the realignment of European power had changed the situation of these members.

In summary what are more demanding are the Hungarian stories remembered, of how when the Ottoman territories were taken back it ended the world of the fortresses, the ruler’s decision to send skyward a few of the castles, making a monument of dust and ending the glorious age, making the border guards disappear from the system, and with it the last 150 years of domestic and universal history of the castle system. But in reality it is gone.

This conference aims, however, differs somewhat from the previous critical work. The well-known political changes within this time period, about 1670-1704 enclosed nearly half a century of social history and development of historical depth and complexity is examined in full, how the individuals lived at the border garrison with their families when the world suddenly changed around them, At least, what had been customary until then, how they were transformed with his family and the knowledge inherited from their ancestors, culture, attitudes and values. We accept this, becoming accustomed to the new. Complex yet fully comprehensible, in the course of the half century the history of the fortress systems are available: The castle and its institutions, Their mission, The suppliers, The castle lords, The gun keepers and the background defences, How the community worked together in the broad sense, materially and culturally. Under conditions such where local changes are part of the general process of redistribution of power across Europe. The complicated subject of the historic fortresses conference for more than 30 years having successfully prevailed through interdisciplinary aspects, have made it approachable.

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