History, Law and Politology Research Group

The members of the team: Nándor Bárdi, Balázs Dobos, Ferenc Eiler, Csilla Fedinec, Ágnes Tóth, Norbert Tóth, Balázs Vizi, János Vékás do research on both the history of ethnic and national minorities of Hungary and the past of over-the-border Hungarian communities as well as the interethnic contacts of Hungarians and the neighbouring peoples. Basicly we focus our research work on the 20th century processes of the Carpathian-Balkan region (i.e countries like Hungary, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Ukraine, Romania, Serbia, Croatia, Slovenia, and Austria).

We see all national and minority issues in their social historical context, as special results of the changes of socio-political structure. That means what we analyse, is not just „nation-building” or the „minorities” in themselves, but rather the entire social, economic and political interaction of all these. As for the means and methods we consider some basic research sources of primary importance together with building statistical, bibliographical datebases, and specific documentations. By using all these our main research interest is to see how different impacts the „great historical events” might have had in the local, regional or national levels and in the structure of institutions in the region.

Our basic question is how and to what extent national conditions may determine both individual and institutional responses given to major social transformations. The members of our team by their special projects have been building an evergrowing network of researchers, in which some thematic and comparative work have been launched in good partnership with a number of devoted colleagues living far from research or academic centers.