A Two-Day Affair – The Hopelessness of Heizenland (Lost Lands #52c)

Provincial towns are not the standard settings for historical events. At least not in the popular imagination. The most important ones are made to seem like they occurred on a grand historical stage. In castles and palaces, on battlefields, and within major cities that are all larger than life. These are places that match in size and scale an event’s historical importance. The most popular parts of the past are rarely provincial. One of the reasons I fell in love with history was because it was a way to escape from the dullness of daily life in a small town. The idea that history would occur in a provincial backwater never crossed my mind. That belief was a false, and myopic view of history. Perhaps that is why I find it fascinating when I discover a history-making event that happened in a provincial town. Even if the event is more anonymous than famous, the fact that someone took the time to document it in a work of history is noteworthy. I discovered one such example while developing my itinerary for the lost lands beyond Hungary’s borders. This one involved the short-lived Republic of Heinzeland and the town of Mattersburg, West Hungary (now Burgenland in eastern Austria).

Waiting game – Mattersdorf in the early 20th century (Credit :Stadtgemeinde Mattersburg)

Future Uncertain – Declaration of Independence
In the final months of 1918, the newly formed Republic of German-Austria worked hard to bring West Hungary under its control. In this effort, pro-German-Austria propaganda was distributed throughout the region’s towns and villages to persuade the ethnic German population that it was in their best interest to join their ethnic kin. The locals were content to take a wait and see approach. This was the most prudent course considering that no one knew what the future would hold with the Austro-Hungarian Empire’s disintegration. The situation was chaotic and liable to change. Local advocates who wanted the region to join German-Austria made inroads with parts of the population. For example, ethnic German children in Mattersburg (Mattersdorf until 1924/Nagymarton in Hungarian) were reported to have tossed their schoolbooks onto the floor and began chanting “We do not want to learn Hungarian anymore.” Hungarian civil servants were also forced to flee the town due to threats of violence.

This was just the prelude to a bizarre and historic event that took place on December 5^th when. Hans Suchard, a local politician and passionate pro-German-Austria advocate, declared the Republic of Heinzenland.  This signaled that those in favor of German-Austria would go to extreme lengths to get their way. At the same time, Heizenland was a ridiculous proposition. The Republic was a political ruse more than a viable potential state. It was a way to move the region towards union with German-Austria. Suchard’s declaration did not have the force of law. Nor did it have any powers other than the ones Suchard and his supporters might declare. There was no upswell of public support for leaving West Hungary. Thus, the supporters of Heizenland would be forced to act on their own. The only way Heinzeland would have staying power was through force of arms. Weapons and ammunition were the preferred strong-arm tactics. To that end, weapons started being shipped into the region. The Hungarians intercepted one delivery. Another consisting of 300 rifles made it to Mattersburg. A showdown with Hungarian authorities looked imminent. 

Sending a message – Postcard from Mattersburg in 1900

A Dangerous Idea That Made No Sense
No sooner did the supporters of Heinzenland begin to prepare for military action than the Hungarian authorities acted. They sent in forces with machine guns and an armored train. This put an end to Heinzenland after just two days. The so-called Republic lacked widespread support. Those who supported it failed to take control of Mattersburg or anywhere else in the region. They were not willing to risk a violent clash for their poorly conceived idea. Propaganda, ruses, and low-level subversion were not going to be enough. This was a political adventure that mercifully ended before anyone lost their life. Faced with serious opposition from the First Hungarian Republic’s forces, the Republic collapsed after just two days. It had been a dangerous idea that made very little sense. Heizenland was over almost before it started.

The Hungarian authorities suspected higher level involvement by the government of German-Austria in the Heizenland affair. The leaders of German-Austria denied any knowledge or involvement with the creation of Heinzenland and distanced themselves from the debacle. There was evidence to the contrary, but Hungary did not pursue the matter for very long. The last thing German-Austria needed was a war with Hungary. Heinzenland turned out to be a small part of a much larger failure. German-Austria’s most important priority was to create a union with Germany. The victorious powers were adamantly opposed to this. The idea went nowhere. Adding millions more Germans to Germany was a non-starter for France and Great Britain.

The Republic of German-Austria soon became the First Austrian Republic. In an ironic twist, West Hungary did become part of Austria. Rather than at the barrel of a gun, it happened with the stroke of a pen when the Treaties of St. Germain-en-Laye and Trianon went into effect. The Republic of Heinzenland was relegated to a footnote in the history books. There was nothing notable about it. Heizenland accomplished nothing other than provoking the Hungarian authorities to take action to put a quick end to it. The Republic had been one in name only. The only notoriety was a lack of longevity. 

Same town, different country – Mattersburg after becoming part of Burgenland

A Bizarre Sideshow
Heizenland was one of several forgettable republics that formed and dissolved in the immediate period after World War I. They either disintegrated or were assimilated into larger states. Mattersburg’s role in the affair was as short-lived as Heinzenland. There were more important things for those who lived in the town to worry about. Heinzeland could not solve Austria’s many woes. It was nothing more than a bizarre sideshow that had virtually no chance of succeeding. Heizenland was the product of wild ambition, political machinations, and impulsive declarations. Combined, those were a recipe for complete failure. Heizenland was soon forgotten, as was Mattersburg’s role in. That is except for a few works of history that document the unhappy history of a two-day Austrian affair.

Click here for: Property of a Lady – Elizabeth Bathory & Lockenhaus (Lost Lands #53)

A Lesson In Creativity – Understanding Burgenland (The Lost Lands #51)

Burgenland is like the person who gets invited to dinner and the guests forget they are there. After the meal is finished someone out of politeness finally asks them a question and is perplexed by the answer. The guests mutter to themselves, “what are they doing here?” No one answers and everyone goes back to ignoring them. Burgenland is the unexpected guest who is happy to never call attention to themselves. It does not ask for attention and affirmation. Burgenland is one of those places that does not make sense and somehow still does. It is the Austrian equivalent of the middle of nowhere. And for me, nowhere is the place to go.

Ideal setting – District of Oberwart in Burgenland (Credit: Zeitblick)

Becoming Burgenland – Bordering On War
Burgenland’s creation was improbable. I find that to be one of its most attractive traits. The phrase, “you can’t make this stuff up” comes to mind.  As a province, Burgenland never existed prior to the birth of Austria. It was cobbled together from the counties of Moson, Vas, and Sopron that had been in the Kingdom of Hungary. The name was contrived and to a certain extent so was its territory, but there was a certain logic to its creation. Two-thirds of the inhabitants in the 1910 Austro-Hungarian census of the region that would become Burgenland were German speakers. They were the descendants of ethnic Germans who migrated to the area in several waves over the previous 500 years. Putting them in Austria was logical. Hungary was not happy with the creation of Burgenland. They were in no position to do much about it, but that would not stop some nationalists from trying.

Burgenland became another of the lost lands beyond Hungary’s borders. This was grudgingly accepted, but a backlash led to an uprising in West Hungary. The result would be Hungary gaining the city of Sopron and its outlying area through a plebiscite. The rest of Burgenland would remain as the eastern extremity of Austria. Burgenland would become a borderland in more ways than one. How many provinces can say that they share a border with three different countries, two of which – Slovenia and Slovakia – have a shorter existence than Burgenland. Like many borderlands, Burgenland was also a source of conflict during its birth. Two failed states arose there after World War I, the Republic of Heinzenland and Lajtabansag (Banate of Leitha). Burgenland might have been a backwater, but many of the inhabitants felt the land was worth fighting for.

Putting together the pieces – Burgenland’s Districts

Flip Sides – Going In Reverse
On a map, Burgenland looks like it was thrown together from disjointed parts grafted onto each other.  There is a symmetry to this that involves a geographical role reversal. Burgenland was the flip side of the same coin for Austria and Hungary. It was the westernmost part of the Kingdom of Hungary before it then became the easternmost extent of Austria. For the longest stretches of its history, Hungary administered the region, but Hungarians were never the majority ethnic group. In the early 20^th century, ethnic Germans outnumbered Hungarians eight to one. Astonishingly, ethnic Croatians also outnumbered Hungarians by almost two to one. Hungarians either owned large-landed estates, acted as border guards or were bureaucrats. This meager Hungarian presence made Burgenland an easy grab for the treaty makers as they created Austria. While this ended up working out, it is hard not to feel that there was a make it up as you go mentality.

Burgenland has a strong north-south orientation (166 kilometers) and a weak east-west one. It is much longer than it is wide. A traveler who wants to keep within the borders will inevitably find themselves going either north or south. The slenderest portion of the province is only five kilometers in width. That narrowness has presented problems in the past. During the Cold War, trains heading either north or south at one point would cross into Hungary. The doors were sealed so no one could leave the train while it transited this Iron Curtain corridor. Today, that is no longer a problem since Austria and Hungary are both in the Schengen Zone. I know from experience that it is easy to get around Burgenland despite its strange geography. It is helpful to remember that Burgenland’s shape was the product of a peace conference. That makes it easier to understand why it looks so strange on a map. This can be of benefit to the traveler.

Gloom & room – Courtyard at Burg Lockenhaus (Credit: Monyesz)

Casting Shadows – Gloom & Room
There are very few places with such a long and unique history that a traveler can cover in a couple of days or less. Burgenland is one of them. Driving the entire province from north to south takes as little as three hours. For those who want to see more, nothing is ever far off the beaten path. A comprehensive trip can cover Burgenland’s seven districts in less time than it takes to visit three or four museums in Vienna. It is bound to be more relaxing. Burgenland may be Austria’s smallest province, but it is also the least populated. Time moves to the rhythm of rural life. This allows for visiting the most important historic places at a leisurely pace. There are a couple of can’t miss castles for very different reasons. These are Burg Forchtenstein and Burg Lockenhaus. The former is associated with the Esterhazy’s, the pro-Habsburg Hungarian noble family par excellence whose splendid palace also adorns Eisenstadt.  

Lockenhaus casts a much darker historical shadow as it is one of Elizabeth Bathory’s old haunts. Putting her name with the place is bound to get attention as the infamous Blood Countess was reputedly the worst female serial killer in history, though that is open to debate. After contemplating Bathory’s exploits, everyone is bound to need a break. Burgenland’s diverse landscapes provide that. In the north, flat and rolling farmland predominates. The further south one travels, the hillier and more forested the terrain. Forchtenstein feels positively gloomy, perched on an outcropping of dolomite. In the southern reaches of Burgenland lies the warmest area of Austria. Positively balmy compared to the country’s Alpine areas. By this point, the traveler should have a good understanding of Burgenland’s geography and an idea of its history. Few travel the length of this lost land, but those who do will never forget it. Burgenland is nothing if not memorable. If only more people knew that.

Click here for: A Tale of Political Adventure – Heinzenland (The Lost Lands #52)