Hvar in the Modern Age

Florian Bieber is Professor of Southeast European History and Politics and Director of the Center for Southeast European Studies at the University of Graz, Austria. He has been a visiting professor at Cornell University, USA, Central European University, the College of Europe, and the Universities of Belgrade, Sarajevo, and Bologna. He has been a Visiting Fellow at the Free University of Brussels, the LSE and New York University. Furthermore, he is president of the Association for the Study of Nationalities (ASN) and coordinator of the Balkans in Europe Policy Advisory Group (BiEPAG) and has written extensively about politics and the history of Southeastern Europe. His recent books include Debating Nationalism (Bloomsbury Academic, 2026) and The Rise of Authoritarianism in the Western Balkans (2020).

• List of Images and MapsPreface Introduction 1. Of Islands 2. From Antiquity to the Decline of Venice 3. Benign Neglect? Habsburg Rule 4. Competing Nation States 5. The Socialist Experiment6. Croatia after IndependenceConclusionBibliographyIndex

Hvar in the Modern Age takes you on a sailing voyage to the island that mirrored states, empires, nationalities, wars, and extremes. The scents of rosemary, lavender, olives, sardines and wine are felt across the centuries of hardship, convolution, and integration. From medieval travellers to contemporary tourists, you are also invited on this magnificent journey into the heart of Adriatic.