Acknowledgments

This dissertation would not have been possible without the help, support, and advice from my PhD committee, friends, and families. First and foremost, I would like to thank the five members of my committee. They have been extremely generous with their time and advice. I wish I could say I paid them back in kind, but, admittedly, for much of the last six years I have not made their lives any easier. I would like to express my deepest and most sincere gratitude to Gregor Thum, who, upon his return to Pittsburgh in 2012, unexpectedly “inherited” me and my project. Professionally and personally, I have learnt more from him than I can express here. I am indebted to Árpad von Klimó who encouraged me to apply to Pitt, who has served as my main advisor until 2011, and who has generously continued to support my work despite having moved to D.C. I cannot put into words what it has meant to me that Jonathan Harris has served on my committee. His ideas and comments have been more than thought provoking. I would like to thank Evelyn Rawski, the self-described “external reader,” whose patient and gentle guidance has shown me the way out of my own confusion and cluelessness. I am grateful for Bill Chase and the time he has put into improving my thesis and the critical questions, with which he has queried my own ideological position.

My students at Pitt have been a weekly if not daily source of inspiration and motivation. I would like to mention especially Jared M., Laura R., Jordan F., and Nick C., Jake F., Nate, Jon and Cody; Jenna, Diana, Colin, Andrew S., Britt, Andrew W. and John R. Among the Pitt faculty and staff, I owe special thanks to Pernille Røge, Katja Wezel, Scott Smith, Lannie Hammond, Bruce Venarde, Janelle Greenberg, Tony Novosel, Kathy Gibson, Grace Tomcho, Patty Landon, and the lovely Molly Estes-Dennis.

This dissertation would not have been possible without the help of numerous archivists. At the Open Society Archive in Budapest, I owe thanks to Gabriella Ivács, Robert Parnica, and Örs Tari, who for now have to stand in for many more. I am indebted to my professors at the Central European University, Balázs Trencsényi, Constantin Iordachi, László Kontler, and István Rév, for introducing me to Central European history.

I would like to thank the Batzings, who sixteen years ago opened their house and hearts to me so that today I consider the Batzing farm my “home away from home.” My second family, Susi, Birgit and Werner Last, has been with me for all my life. I cannot thank them enough for everything they have done for me. A big thank you goes out to my sister Christina, her partner Limor, and my lovely nieces, Noa, Romy, and Liah.

I am indebted to Ilse Lazaroms, an amazing scholar and editor, who has become a dear friend. Zsófia Lóránd and Stevo Đurašković – their friendship means the world to me. Most of all, I would like to express my gratitude and appreciation for my wonderful friends, Madalina Veres, without whom I would not have made it through Pitt, the one and only Bettina “Chica” Heider, and Christian Pötter, who makes me laugh like no one else. Rakan Maddah, Wissam Beaino, Deema Abdallah, John Feghali, Shiv Hiremath, Deepan and Silpa Kamaraj – I am honored to call you my friends.

As anyone who knows me could have guessed, this dissertation is dedicated to my father, who, in 2007, when all my plans and dreams were put on hold, became my best friend. He has seen me through more good and bad times than anyone can imagine. Without him, I would not have gotten to this point. This thesis is as much his as it is mine.