The history of a uniquely fascinating region, whose seat is soon to be the European Capital of Culture, as told by a team of renowned academics. "Neumann's book has many qualities - it is beautifully presented, very wide ranging and nicely illustrated - but above all it is a reminder of what the radical right wants to destroy, and how it wants to turn a vibrant, thriving scene into a world of sameness and conformity." - Dan Stone, Professor of Modern History at Royal Holloway, University of London ‘For all those who (we hope) will visit Timișoara during its year as European Capital of Culture, Victor Neumann’s volume provides a welcome introduction to the city and region, of the highest scientific and intellectual quality.’ - Observator Cultural"...an innovative, monographic illustration of the research topic through cooperation between specialists. Even those who know the history of Banat will find new perspectives." - Armin HeinenThe Banat is a uniquely fascinating example of a European cross-border region, incorporating parts of western Romania, northeastern Serbia and a small area of southeastern Hungary. The team of historians, headed by Professor Victor Neumann of the West University in Timisoara, who have contributed to this volume are drawn from across the three modern nations of the region. They analyse the history and culture of the Banat from the earliest times, focusing on the 300 years since it was captured from the Ottoman Turks by Prince Eugene of Savoy. Today this ethnically diverse region has a distinct character of its own, and its Romanian seat, the city of Timisoara, exudes a character quite different from Transylvania and the rest of Romania. This new English edition of the book (originally published in Romanian in 2016 under the title Istoria Banatului) has been expanded and is published to support Timisoara's designation as European Capital of Culture in 2023.

Winner of the 2016 George Bariţiu Prize In The Mortuary Archaeology of the Medieval Banat (10th – 14th centuries) Silviu Oţa highlights the interactions between different ethnic groups as reflected in burial customs and funerary practices. The book will deal with the Banat as a whole (as opposed to the Romanian, Serbian or Hungarian parts of the region) since the modern political borders are not identical with the cultural boundaries in the Middle Ages. On a more general level, the goal of this book is to analyse the social dynamics in the region. The author rejects the idea that any of the "archaeological cultures" identified in the Banat (e.g. the Bjelo Brdo culture) may be associated with any single ethnic group. Winner of the 2016 George Bariţiu Prize from the Romanian Academy for outstanding contribution to the development of Romanian culture and science in the area of history and archaeology. The prize, named after the towering figure of George Bariţiu (1812-1893) in nineteenth-century Romanian political and cultural life and former president of the Academy, is awarded for originality of the work, its contribution to its field, and its impact at the national level of the field development.

Introduction: on being Osman -- Discovering Osman: a short history of the text -- A note on translation -- A note on transcription from Ottoman Turkish -- Surrender -- Ransom -- Crime and punishment -- Death and resurrection -- Respite -- Bonds of love -- To the capital -- A friend in need -- An unexpected turn of events -- Trouble on the Danube -- Grifters -- Border run -- The end -- Appendix: main characters in Osman's narrative.

Subverting Communism in Romania explores the role of law in everyday life and as a mechanism for social change during early communism in Romania. Mihaela Serban focuses on the regime’s attempts to extinguish private property in housing through housing nationalization and expropriation. This study of early communist law illustrates that law is never just an instrument of state power, particularly over the long term and from a ground up perspective. Even during its most totalitarian phase, communist law enjoyed a certain level of autonomy at the most granular level and consequently was simultaneously a space of state power and resistance to power. The book draws from archives recently made available in Romania, which have opened up new perspectives for understanding a mundane yet crucial part of the modern human experience: one’s home and the institution of private property that often sustains it.

Romanian Germans, mainly from the Banat and Transylvania, have occupied a place at the very heart of major events in Europe in the twentieth century yet their history is largely unknown. This east-central European minority negotiated their standing in a difficult new European order after 1918, changing from uneasy supporters of Romania, to zealous Nazis, tepid Communists, and conciliatory Europeans. Migrating Memories is the first comprehensive study in English of Romanian Germans and follows their stories as they move across borders and between regimes, revealing a very European experience of migration, minorities, and memories in modern Europe. After 1945, Romanian Germans struggled to make sense of their lives during the Cold War at a time when the community began to fracture and fragment. The Revolutions of 1989 seemed to mark the end of the German community in Romania, but instead Romanian Germans repositioned themselves as transnational European bridge-builders, staking out new claims in a fast-changing world.

The many fascinating wonders of Romania, for so long closed to the West, have finally begun to emerge. This illustrated guide includes every tool you need to plan a trip to this most intriguing country in the midst of the new Europe.