The dissertation examines an early migration control system, which existed on the Habsburg-Ottoman border in the eighteenth century. Between the 1720s and the 1850s, migrants entering the Habsburg... Show moreThe dissertation examines an early migration control system, which existed on the Habsburg-Ottoman border in the eighteenth century. Between the 1720s and the 1850s, migrants entering the Habsburg Monarchy from the Ottoman Empire had to go through official border crossings, where they were controlled and registered. Similar migration control system did not exist at that time anywhere else in Europe. Through research of archives in Austria, Serbia and Croatia, as well as many narrative sources, the dissertation explores an array of questions: what was the origin of that, at the time, unusual border arrangement, where after 1699 a clearly demarcated boundary separated Habsburg and Ottoman territories? How did it affect border life and the Habsburg-Ottoman relationship? How could the Habsburg Monarchy, with its limited administrative apparatus, effectively enforce migration controls? What was the role of the permanent cordon sanitaire? How did the Military Border soldiers and other stakeholders, such as border inhabitants, the Ottoman border authorities and the migrants themselves contribute to migration control? Finally, the dissertation explores whether the goal of the system was to restrict or to facilitate migrations. Quantitatively analysing migrant lists, it researches the impact of border controls on migration numbers and structure. Show less
