VICEROY KARLO (KÁROLY) KHUEN-HÉDERVÁRY AND THE CROATS

Abstract

Viceroy Károly (Croatian historiography is sometimes referred to by the name
of Karlo; Charles, and sometimes in the croatian language form of Dragutin) Count
Khuen Héderváry is one of the most important and highest ranked individuals in
Croatian-Hungarian history, a statesman who was twice honored with the Viceroy title
(1883. - 1903.) and has been elected as the president of the Hungarian Government
(June 27, 1903 - November 3, 1903 and January 17, 1910 - April 22, 1912).
He has marked Croatian history greatly at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries,
but in historiography and in folk consciousness he has been registered in a extremely
negative way, often being accused for Magyarisation of Croatia.
As such, the Count Khuen-Héderváry became generally known in Croatia,
although the vast majority of Croats don’t not know anything else but the above
mentioned stereotypes.
It is often argued that he was a foreigner, imposed from outside (Hungary),
although he grew up and lived most of his life in Croatia. All his life he stood up for
maintaining the Hungarian-Croatian state community and has promoted cooperation
and coexistence between the two peoples, and also as a Viceroy he defended the rights
of Croats.
In his thesis the author analyzes the political situation in Hungary and Croatia in
the second half of the 19th century and early 20th century, and he presents the point of
view of Viceroy Khuen-Hedervary and his role in the history of Croatian-Hungarian
State.