Traveler, Scholar, Political Adventurer: A Transylvanian Baron at the Birth of Albanian Independence: the Memoirs of Franz Nopcsa

Baron Franz Nopcsa was an Austro-Hungarian aristocrat, paleontologist, and geologist who explored the Balkans in the early 20th century. His memoirs cover Ottoman Rule, the Balkan Wars, and the outbreak of the First World War, and reveal his homosexuality.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 250 pages
Publication date: 31 March 2023
Publisher: Central European University Press

Baron Franz Nopcsa, an aristocrat of Austro-Hungarian descent with Transylvanian roots, emerged as one of the most daring explorers and scholars of Southeast Europe during the early 20th century. In addition to his esteemed career as a paleontologist and renowned geologist of the Balkan Peninsula, his hypotheses and discoveries have been widely corroborated by the scientific community. Baron Franz Nopcsa's memoirs, primarily focused on his travels within the Balkans, particularly in the remote and untamed mountains of northern Albania, span the years from 1903 to 1914. These memoirs encompass the era of Ottoman rule, the Balkan Wars, and the outbreak of the First World War. Nopcsa, an ardent adventurer, embarked on extensive hikes through the regions of northern Albania, gradually amassing expertise in Albanian studies. He also played a significant role in the political landscape of the time, even standing as a candidate for the vacant Albanian throne in 1913.

However, the Introduction also sheds light on a tragic chapter of Nopcsa's life: his suicide. Before taking his own life, he shot his Albanian secretary and partner, leaving behind a profound and enigmatic legacy. The memoirs themselves contain subtle references to Nopcsa's homosexuality, which can be discerned by those with a keen eye for detail.

Dimension: 229 x 152 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9789633861042