Borders & Identity

Burgenland was created for Austria after the First World War, but its intended capital, Sopron, remained in Hungary after a disputed 1921 plebiscite. The episode reveals how diplomacy, armed resistance and geography reshaped the border.

For centuries, Transylvania’s German-speaking communities built towns, defended frontiers, and preserved a distinct culture. Under communist Romania, their departure became a secretive, state-priced process that reshaped the country and its diaspora.