The Idea of Galicia History and Fantasy in Habsburg Political Culture [Hardcover]

Galicia was created at the first partition of Poland in 1772 and disappeared in 1918. Yet, in slightly over a century, the idea of Galicia came to have meaning for both the peoples who lived there and the Habsburg government that ruled it. Indeed, its memory continues to exercise a powerful fascination for those who live in its former territories and for the descendants of those who emigrated out of Galicia.

The idea of Galicia was largely produced by the cultures of two cities, Lviv and Cracow. Making use of travelers' accounts, newspaper reports, and literary works, Wolff engages such figures as Emperor Joseph II, Metternich, Leopold von Sacher-Masoch, Ivan Franko, StanisBaw WyspiaDski, Tadeusz Boy {eleDski, Isaac Babel, Martin Buber, and Bruno Schulz. He shows the exceptional importance of provincial space as a site for the evolution of cultural meanings and identities, and analyzes the province as the framework for non-national and multi-national understandings of empire in European history.

The Idea of Galiciais a magnificent addition to recent works on Galicia . . . [Wolff] brings the work of historians, anthropologists, and cultural critics to bear, always giving credit where it is due and applying arguments gleaned from others in new and original ways. The resulting unexpected juxtapositions and insights are stunning, thought provoking, and inspiring . . . This remarkable book is an impressive achievement. The Idea of Galiciais highly recommended not only for those working on the modern history of Eastern Europe but also for anyone interested in the shaping of the modern world and modern culture. As an intellectual history that brings together the cultural, political, and social, the book will be extremely useful in a variety of graduate courses. The author is to be commended for producing a highly original, engaging, and powerful book, a real tour de force in the growing field of Galician studies. [Larry Wolff is] a historian l&