| 1. | Epigraphic Catalogue of a Chosen Territory of Slovakia till 1650 ** | The work should be a classical epigraphic documentation (field work and study of archival sources) and analysis of historical inscriptions from a selected region in Slovakia (except of published or in progress: counties of Bratislava, Nitra, Tekov, Hont, Liptov, Spiš, Šariš). The PhD-theses will be a part of the long-term project Inventory of inscriptions from Slovakia. |
| 2. | Historical Topography of Bratislava based on GIS ** | Building on the long-term project Historical Atlas of Slovak Cities (so far partially processed Bratislava and Košice), it will be necessary to analyse sources from the Middle Ages or the modern period concerning the owners of plots/houses in the cadastre of Bratislava or its selected part (especially Grundbuchs, land registers), in the selected period to link ownership data with personal (e.g. civil registers, censuses) and secondary sources (e.g. for the older period charters and official books, for the younger period the contemporary press). The result will be a historical topography of Bratislava (ideally in the second half of the 19th century) using a geoinformation system. On its basis, it should not only be possible to answer in which house lived which owner (or other inhabitants), while other information (e.g. occupation, or through charters or newspapers also events connected with their name, social involvement, etc.) will be traced to persons in addition to their personal information. In addition to a detailed analysis of individual plots/houses, the work should also result in a general view of the social topography of the town (places of wealthy or marginalised, in which houses lived e.g. members of the town council or members of selected crafts or trades, in which part of the town evangelicals and Jews were concentrated, etc.). |
| 3. | Sociocultural Development of Jewish Religious Communities in Slovakia during the Interwar Period ** | Slovak historiography does not yet have a comprehensive (as well as innovative) grasp of the phenomenon of Jewish religious communities in Slovakia during the interwar period from a sociocultural historical perspective. The thematic framework offers the candidate the potential to explore the fullrange of segments of the sociocultural development of Jewish religious communities, taking into account not only the over all dynamics of influence 1. Czechoslovakia on their development and the possibilities of tracing the sociology of lifestyle, the clash of traditionalism and modernism, the sacred and the profane, social communication, cultural values and needs, cultural and social change, forms of leisure, collectivism versus individualism, intellectual structures and authorities, ethical standards of behaviour, taking into account ethnic, ideological and gender aspects and the manifestations of the impact of the above-mentioned type of culture in the lives of given communities/individuals. The candidate is expected to have his/her own innovative grasp of thei ssues and an interdisciplinary approach. |
| 4. | Nationalisms and the nationality question in Central Europe at the beginning of the 20th century ** | Concepts and practical implementation of the national/minority issue (Hungary before and after 1918, Austria before and after 1918, Czechoslovakia, Yugoslavia, Italy before and after 1918), dividing borders (their creation and argumentation, polemics and conflicts) and uniting nationalism (argumentation, historical memory and traditions, polemics and conflicts), conflicting nationalisms – conflicting identities, divided cities and regions (Komárno, Břeclav, Trieste, Bolzano, Javorina, South Tyrol), irredentism, issues of assimilation (culture, language, education, associations, modernization, question of voluntariness and violence), identities (alternation, changes, pragmatism, conflict, violence), historical heritage (historical memory), their comparison and generalization. |
| 5. | Environmental History of Forest Landscape in the Central and Upper Váh Region in the 18th Century ** | This topics offers a possibility to analyse the issue of forests and forest landscape in the past via the concept of environmental history. As the study addresses the interaction between a human (society) and forest landscape, it emphasizes systematic archival research, as well as a reconstruction of the historical forest landscape and its transformation in space and time on the basis of content analysis of historical maps. Since the environmental history is rather an interdisciplinary/trans-disciplinary discipline, its research naturally incorporates theoretical and methodical apparatus of historical geography, landscape ecology as well as other disciplines.Geographical framework enables an applicant to outline their own delimitation (for instance on the basis of geomorphology) of the researched forest landscape in the Regions of Central and Upper Váh.The chronology of the topic is to be grasped via social-economic-political phenomena of the pre-modern period (quite legitimately also with the overlap into the preceding 17th, and following 19th century), and anthropogenic agents in the landscape (entrepreneurial activities of nobility, forms of exploiting the forest landscape in the pre-industrial period, protection-related policies, etc.). |
| 6. | How to understand the topic of the Principality of Nitra: The current state of the issue and perspective possibilities of interpretation ** | The topic of the Principality of Nitra has been alive in Slovak historiography since the last third of the 19th century. The interpretation of this historical issue in this period has undergone many significant changes, which can be summarised on a scale ranging from overestimation to underestimation. It also regularly receives some attention in neighbouring Czech, Hungarian, German and Polish historiographies. The aim of this dissertation is to summarize the current themes and tendencies in the research of this issue. To outline further potential possibilities of its research and to apply them. |
| 7. | Kingdom of Hungary: Origin, Changes, and Disappearance of Social Groups and Categories on Royal or Church Estates in the 13th–14th Centuries | The dissertation delves into the economic and social history of the Middle Ages, focusing on the structure and form of Hungarian society during the transformative periods of the Árpád and Anjou dynasties. Collaborating with the supervisor, the PhD student will select a specific social category (e.g., royal populi, condicionarii, udvarniks, dušníci, filii jobagionum, servientes, etc.) to explore its origins, changes, and disappearance, if any. The research may also concentrate on a specific territory or a single ecclesiastical institution (e.g., county, royal estate, bishopric, monastery, etc.) as a research probe within the broader socio-legal changes of Hungarian society. Theoretical concepts of previous research need reevaluation, including a critical examination of the so-called servant organization in the Kingdom of Hungary. The Central European context, involving a comparison with the social situations in Poland and the Czech lands, can be considered in treating this topic. Requirements: Knowledge of Slovak, Latin, English (min. B2), and familiarity with Hungarian are highly desirable. The ability to read medieval sources in the original is an advantage. |
| 8. | The Medieval Town and Its Economic and Social Development in the 13th–15th Centuries (Example of a Concrete Town) | The dissertation will focus on a specific town, to be chosen in consultation with the supervisor. The doctoral student is encouraged to independently select a particular town or a group of towns. Economic and social development will be explored through the lens of urban privileges, examining their renovation, gradual expansion, or reduction. Drawing on documentary material, especially disputes and conflicts involving the nobility or between towns, provides insights into their functioning or the challenges in their application within a specific area. For towns with well-preserved archives, the topic can be refined (e.g., district construction, property development, income and expenditure, population structure, and activities) with an emphasis on later periods. Requirements: Proficiency in working with medieval documentary sources in Latin and German is necessary, and knowledge of Hungarian is welcomed. |
| 9. | Baroque Latin Historiography: The Historical Works of Franciscus Kazy SJ (1695–1759) | The doctoral dissertation aims to conduct a detailed analysis of the contents, sources, style, and language present in the historical works of Franciscus Kazy SJ. This includes his history of the University of Trnava (Historia Universitatis Tyrnaviensis, 1737) and the three-volume compendium detailing the history of the Hungarian Kingdom in the period 1601–1681 (Historia Regni Hungariae, 1737, 1741, 1749). The interpretation of Kazy's works should be grounded in the context of both Hungarian and European historiography during the first half of the eighteenth century. Requirements: Candidates are expected to possess a good working knowledge of German or English. Additionally, an excellent command of Latin is essential. |
| 10. | Criminal Offences of Women in Pressburg in the 18th Century | This dissertation aims to explore women's criminality in the urban environment of Pressburg, the capital of Hungary. Women's involvement in a wide spectrum of crimes in the past, coupled with crimes closely related to the female world such as infanticide or sorcery, adds specificity to this study. A historical-anthropological analysis of this issue can offer a new understanding of women's position in the city by examining accounts of criminal acts. The unique aspects of Pressburg's urban environment allow for the tracing of female wage laborers or servants. Consequently, this work will contribute to much-needed knowledge about women on the margins of society Requirements: Knowledge of Latin, German, and English. |
| 11. | Probe into the Representation of Nobility: The Example of the Erdődy Family in the 17th Century | The aim of the dissertation is the analysis of the social, economic, cultural and symbolic capital of the Erdődy family through its representation in the 18th century. We understand representation as a phenomenon of communication through which we try to reconstruct actions in a historical sense. In the dissertation, social and political representation will be followed through a probe on selected family members in their personal correspondence, wills, and preserved accounts. Research needs to be focused on the family's marriage policy, patronage, appearance of residences, festivities, art collections and portrait galleries of the family. The expensive life of the Hungarian aristocracy often caused them to get into debt, so it will be important to monitor the debts, receivables and interest of family members. A large part of the archival materials is stored with the Slovak National Archives in the Central Archive of the Erdődy family, in the fund of the Secretariat of Ján Nepomuk and Jozef Erdődy in Bratislava, which contains economic and financial matters of the family and the noble court of the Erdődy family. Further specification of the topic is expected during the first year of study, depending on the amount and nature of the archival material. Requirements: knowledge of Hungarian, Latin, German, English. |
| 12. | Venereal Diseases as a Social and Healthcare Problem at the Turn of the 19th and 20th Centuries in the Territory of Today’s Slovakia | The objective of the dissertation is to investigate changes in therapeutic procedures and regulations against venereal diseases, with a special focus on their causes, social consequences, and stereotypes during the late 19th and early 20th centuries in the context of Austria-Hungary and Czechoslovakia. Case studies of selected institutions (e.g., specialized medical facilities, brothels, charity societies, etc.) will be integral to the dissertation. A comparison of selected institutions in the territory of today's Slovakia with similar examples in other regions of the Habsburg Monarchy or its successor states is encouraged. In addition to archival material on selected institutions, contemporary medical, health, and educational literature (including the press), memoirs, correspondence, and fiction will serve as important sources for analysis. The candidate is expected to have a basic overview of the political and social development of Slovakia in the period under review. Requirements: Knowledge of Slovak/Czech and English, the ability to work with sources in Hungarian and/or German is necessary for research into the period up to 1918. |
| 13. | The Perception of Slovakia in British Politics (1938–1939): The Vienna Award and Its Consequences from the Perspective of London | Great Britain was one of the four signatories to the Munich Agreement, which, in its Second Amendment, sanctioned the resolution of the problem of the Hungarian and Polish minorities in Czechoslovakia during the autumn months of 1938. Although London did not ultimately figure among the arbitrating powers, it continued to monitor and evaluate events in the Danube area. The aim of this dissertation will be to analyse the modification of British policy paradigms during the period under review through the application of constructivist theories of international relations. Using the example of the Vienna Award, the internal PhD candidate will ask questions related to changes in London's view of Slovakia within specific groups of actors that had a relevant influence on British policy decision-making. Requirements: Knowledge of English, proficiency in other world or regional languages (e.g. Hungarian) is an advantage. |
| 14. | German Cooperative System in Slovakia (1918–1945) / Deutsches Genossenschaftswesen in der Slowakei (1918–1945) | The aim of the dissertation is to investigate the process of establishment and the mechanism of functioning of German cooperatives, especially money and food cooperatives, in Slovakia (1918–1945). This exploration is viewed as one element contributing to the national identification of the German minority in Slovakia and its support by the German Reich. This phenomenon is not isolated; following its defeat in the First World War, Germany began supporting German minorities in Central Eastern Europe to rebuild a power base weakened by the war. The issue at hand has not been sufficiently explored, and the pioneering work in this field is Bernd Robionek's "Ethnische Ökonomie im politischen Spannungsfeld. Das deutsche Genossenschaftswesen in der Vojvodina (1922–41)," Hamburg 2019, which could serve as a basis for submitting an independent research project focusing on a selected, more narrowly specified sphere of political-economic and social practices. A deeper interest in economic and social history and a preliminary orientation in the topic are assumed. Requirements: Knowledge of German (min. B2) and Slovak/Czech. |
| 15. | Spatial Analysis and the Second Wave of Deportations of Jews from Slovakia (1944–1945) | The aim of the dissertation is to investigate the so-called second wave of deportations of Jews from the territory of Slovakia (1939–1945) using digital humanities methods. The study will examine spatial data related to the issue using a Geographic Information System (GIS), a tool for acquiring, analysing, visualizing, and managing spatial/map representation. The thesis will focus on specific research questions related to the second wave of deportations of Jews from Slovakia, during which thousands of victims were deported to Nazi concentration and extermination camps. An interest in the Holocaust in Slovakia, preliminary orientation in the topic and existing literature, as well as knowledge of PC work are assumed. Basic knowledge of QGIS software and a willingness to improve its use are also prerequisites. Requirements: Knowledge of Slovak and English (min. B2), PC skills, and a basic understanding of the free QGIS software; knowledge of German or other world languages is an advantage. |
| 16. | Chamber of Commerce and Industry in Banská Bystrica and Socio-Economic Development of Central Slovakia in the Interwar Period | The aim of the dissertation is to research and evaluate the significance of the Chamber of Commerce and Industry (ChCI) in Banská Bystrica for the economic and social development of Central Slovakia during the interwar period. The doctoral student's task is to explore the development of the ChCI in Banská Bystrica following the establishment of Czechoslovakia, especially through archival research of the extensive Archival Fund of the Chamber in the National Archive in Bratislava. Another objective is to delineate the primary directions of socio-economic development in Central Slovakia, which was adversely affected by the economic crisis, particularly the disposal of part of the industry after 1918. Subsequently, the doctoral student will assess the key segments of the ChCI's activities in Banská Bystrica aimed at overcoming negative economic phenomena and promoting social development in the monitored region. The doctoral student will also evaluate the tangible results of these activities. The research will focus on the scope of the ChCI in Banská Bystrica, which, in 1919, defined the regions of the former County of the Hungarian Kingdom, namely Orava, Liptov, Zvolen, and Tekov Counties, as well as the Slovak parts of Hont, Novohrad, and Gemer Counties. Since a significant portion of the ChCI's agenda in Banská Bystrica was conducted in Hungarian and German after 1918, working on this topic requires at least basic knowledge of these languages. Requirements: Knowledge of Slovak and English (min B2), reading proficiency in Hungarian and German. |
