Serbs in the Centre of the Hungarian State: The Diocese of Buda in the long Nineteenth Century

The nineteenth century history of the Buda Diocese, one of the most important administrative-territorial units of the Serbian Orthodox Karlovci Metropolis, was filled with turbulent and dynamic events, as was that of the Serbs within the Habsburg monarchy. Since the diocese was located in the very centre of the Hungarian part of the empire, its position was difficult and significantly affected by events taking place on the central political stage of the country. The number of Serbs living on the territory of the monarchy was not large, which limited their opportunities and available resources. Events such as the Napoleonic wars, the revolution of 1848–1849, and attempts to resolve the national question in the second half of the nineteenth century all had a significant impact on the life of the diocese as a church unit. Many political decisions that determined the development of the empire and the position of its population were reflected in the Serbian church and its parishioners throughout the monarchy. The diocese was under the vigilant control of the Hungarian authorities, the numerous testimonies of which, at critical historical moments, increased the drama and instability of the daily life of the Serbs of the Buda Diocese.