Call for Papers

Call for Papers – East Central European Historical Studies

 

Regime Changes in Nineteenth- and Twentieth-Century Hungary

 

East Central European Historical Studies, the journal of Eszterházy Károly Catholic University, invites submissions for its 2027/2 thematic issue. The volume will focus on interpretations of political regime change in nineteenth- and twentieth-century Hungary, with particular attention to the problem of change and continuity.

Hungarian history in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries was marked by repeated and profound transformations of the political order. The years 1848–1849, 1867, 1918–1920, 1944–1949, 1956, and 1989–1990 represent turning points traditionally associated with the collapse, establishment, or fundamental transformation of political regimes. The significance of these historical ruptures is beyond dispute; yet the reconfiguration of political power alone does not reveal when, in which spheres, and to what extent an actual regime change took place.

The thematic issue approaches regime change as a problem of historical analysis. A political system cannot be reduced to state institutions and structures of power: it also encompasses forms of political participation and representation, political organizations, political culture and language, the structure of the public sphere, as well as the related social and economic relations. Regime change should therefore be understood not as a single event but as a process of transformation unfolding at different speeds and with varying degrees of intensity.

A central question of the issue is the relationship between change and continuity. When does a regime change begin, and when can it be considered complete? Do political, social, and economic transformations occur simultaneously? To what extent do these events constitute genuine historical ruptures? Which institutions, legal norms, practices, social structures, and personal networks were transformed, and which survived the political turning point?

An important line of inquiry concerns the tension between political rupture and historical continuity. The establishment of a new regime does not automatically eliminate previous elites, institutions, or administrative practices, while institutions that formally survive a political transition may undergo fundamental changes in their functions and meaning. The study of regime change therefore offers an opportunity to reconsider conventional periodizations: rather than treating established chronological boundaries as given, it allows us to examine the ruptures themselves and assess their explanatory power.

The editors invite contributions that refine and problematize the concept of regime change through the analysis of specific historical issues.

Suggested topics include:

• Regime change as a category of historical analysis and the applicability of related concepts (transition, transformation, revolution, reform, restoration)

• The relationship between political ruptures and longer-term historical processes

• Institutional and elite change; continuity in individual and collective trajectories

• Transformations in political participation, representation, and electoral systems

• Changes in state administration and local structures of power

• Transformations in political culture, language, and practices

• The adaptation of social and economic structures to political turning points

• The differing dynamics of short-term political change and long-term social transformation

• The role of external influences and internal processes

• Developments in Hungary in East Central European comparative perspective

• Subsequent interpretations, memory, and historiography of regime changes

We also welcome contributions that do not take the existence or chronological boundaries of regime change for granted, but instead critically examine the process itself. The aim of the volume is not to present separate descriptions of Hungary’s successive regime changes, but to offer a comparative examination of the transformation and persistence of political systems. An invited author will contribute a study providing an overview of regime changes across the entire period.

The editors primarily welcome contributions in the field of history, while interdisciplinary approaches are also encouraged. The thematic issue will include a maximum of 8–10 articles.

Important dates

• Deadline for abstract submissions: 15 November 2026

• Notification of acceptance: 15 December 2026

• Deadline for full article submissions: 31 May 2027

• Abstract submission form: https://forms.gle/aPJDH7xE5KHbkNzf6

Submission and publication guidelines

• Length: 1–1.5 author’s sheets; the language of publication is Hungarian.

• Manuscripts must be submitted through the journal’s online submission system in accordance with its official editorial and formatting guidelines.

• The journal operates a double-blind peer-review process and also provides language editing and translation of article summaries.

• Publication: second half of 2027

Editors of the thematic issue

József Pap and János M. Rainer