Dr Dušan Fundić from the Institute of Balkan Studies of the Serbian Academy of Sciences was awarded the Main Prize for his book “Austro-Hungary and the Formation of Albania (1896-1914)” in the 23rd Wacław Felczak and Henryk Wereszycki competition. The prize was established by the Krakow Branch of the Polish Historical Association and the Faculty of History of the Jagiellonian University (UJ) in Krakow.

The competition rewards publications on the history of Central and Eastern Europe and its relations with Poland from the Middle Ages to the present day.

As Prof. Piotr Jedynak, Vice-Chancellor of the Jagiellonian University, emphasised, the Wacław Felczak and Henryk Wereszycki Prize is important for the Jagiellonian University scholarly community because it promotes the scholarly output of our part of the world, which is often unfairly regarded as important only on a local scale. 

The award-winning book describes Vienna’s policy towards Albania in support of its bid for autonomy. The author presented both the reasons and the ways of Austrian support. In addition to political themes, the book also touches on social issues, presenting a kind of ‘civilising mission’ of Vienna in this part of the Balkans.