Orbán Balázs és a zsandárság, avagy egy fegyveres őrtestület ellenzéki meg(el)ítélése
Balázs Orbán and the Gendarmerie: An Opposition Perspective on an Armed Guard Corps

Summary/Abstract: The Hungarian Royal Gendarmerie was definitively dissolved in 1945 due to its complicity in war crimes. Previously, during the era of the Austro-Hungarian Empire, opposition parties, despite differing political views, sought the dissolution of the Transylvanian gendarmerie, viewing it as a symbol of Habsburg oppression since 1849. Following the end of the Hungarian Revolution and War of Independence of 1848–1849, many revolutionaries fled to Turkish territories, where they were under the protection of the sultan. During this time, the young ethnographer Balázs Orbán also arrived in the Ottoman Empire to resolve matters related to family inheritance. The young Transylvanian baron’s relationship with the revolutionaries significantly influenced his political conduct and career. The purpose of this study is to examine the extent and nature of the aversion toward the gendarmerie in Balázs Orbán’s political conduct, as well as to explore any possible changes over time, considering the various reforms of the gendarmerie. A statement from local press may also be included in the examination of Balázs Orbán’s opposition to the gendarmerie, and more broadly, the current state of public safety. The author argues that one should not reject the gendarmerie solely because it was initiated by the government; instead, it is essential to consider the changes the gendarmerie brought to the region’s public safety. The conclusion of the study suggests that separating Balázs Orbán’s different roles – as the ethnographer who left behind significant academic work on Szeklerland and as the parliamentarian demonstrating specific political behavior – may prove beneficial.

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