Abstract
Nopcsa, Baron Franz. 2014. Traveler, Scholar, Politician, Adventurer – A Transylvanian Baron at the Birth of Albanian Independence (ed. and trans. from German Robert Elsie). Budapest: Central European University Press. 227 pp. Reviewed by David Mandler, Independent Scholar
Highlights
Completed circa twenty years after the events therein described, the memoirs of Baron Franz (Ferenc) Nopcsa von Felső-Szilvás (1877-1933), originally written in German and first published in 2001, most resemble an uneven patchwork of largely soporific narrative, consisting of undeveloped character sketches, superficial travel itinerary reports, a lengthy reproduction of Nopcsa’s articles in Austrian newspapers on the political situation of 1911 Albania, and boastful allusions to the author’s encounters with various members of the Austro-Hungarian elite, all interwoven with a coarse strand of prejudices
It soon becomes clear even to the casual reader that the academically and politically marginalized Nopcsa, by this time deprived of his title and income as Transylvania became part of Romania after World War I, intended to solidify his image with this work as an expert on Albania and as a hyper-masculine master of conflict resolution
Elsie counts “at least 54...works...related to Albania” (ix) out of the 191 works “primarily in the fields of palaeontology, geology, and Albanian studies” that Nopcsa published throughout his career (Elsie includes a very useful bibliography of Nopcsa’s published writings following the memoirs)
Summary
Completed circa twenty years after the events therein described, the memoirs of Baron Franz (Ferenc) Nopcsa von Felső-Szilvás (1877-1933), originally written in German and first published in 2001, most resemble an uneven patchwork of largely soporific narrative, consisting of undeveloped character sketches, superficial travel itinerary reports, a lengthy reproduction of Nopcsa’s articles in Austrian newspapers on the political situation of 1911 Albania, and boastful allusions to the author’s encounters with various members of the Austro-Hungarian elite, all interwoven with a coarse strand of prejudices.
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
