AUSTRIA-HUNGARY.
Zur Forstgeschichte Oesterreichs, by BINDER VON KREIGELSTEIN, in Verhandlungen der K. K. Landwirthschaftsgesellschaft, 1836.
Geschichte der Oesterreichischen Land- und Forstwirtschaft und ihrer Industrieen, 1848-1898. 5 vols., 1902, parts referring to forestry, vols. 4 and 5, by Dr. von Guttenberg and 15 others; a unique and most comprehensive work, magnificently published as a jubilee of the semi-centennial of the coronation of Emperor Franz Joseph.
Die Forste der Staats- und Fondsgüter, by KARL SCHINDLER, 1885 and 1889, 2 vols., pp. 487 and 742, contains in greatest detail with historical data a description of the State and Funds forests and their management.
Jahrbuch der Staats- und Fondsgüter-verwaltung, 9 vols., by L. Dimitz, 1897-1904 cont.
Urkundensammlung zur Geschichte der ungarischen Forstwirthschaft by ALBERT V. BEDÖ, 1896, in Magyar.
Die Wirthschaftlichen und Kommerziellen Beschreibungen der Wälder des Ungarischen Staates, by A. v. BEDÖ, 2d edition, 1896, 4 vols., 2242 pp., 4o, published as a jubilee of the ten-centennial existence of Hungary. First volume contains the general description, third volume the details of government forests. A magnificent work describing in detail the forests and forest management of Hungary. This is briefed by the same author in a chapter in “The Millennium of Hungary and its People, by Jekelfalussy, 1897.”
Germany’s neighbor to the south-east, and until 1866 a member of the German Empire or Federation, largely settled by Germans and hence swayed by German thought, developed forestry methods on much the same lines as the mother country. Yet there are differences to be found, due to difference in economic development, and there is for the United States perhaps more to be learned from Austria in the matter of introducing forestry methods, especially as lately practiced in Bosnia-Herzegovina, than from any other country, for economic conditions are in several respects alike.
The interest in the forest history of Austria lies especially in the fact that private forest property in large holdings is predominant, and that large areas are still untouched or just opened to exploitation, so that Austria is still in the list of export countries, although in some parts intensive management has been long in existence.
In the main, although movements for reform in forest use date back to the middle ages, the condition of forestry in Austria was past the middle of the 19th century still most deplorable, and in a stage of development which most of the German States had passed long before; but in the last 50 years such progress has been made that both science and practice stand nearly if not quite on the same level with those of their German neighbors.
If Germany exhibits in its different parts a great variety of development, political and economic, Austria, although long under one family of rulers (since 1526), exhibits a still greater variety due to racial, natural, and historical differences within its own borders. It is, indeed, an extraordinary and singular country, without an equal of its kind (except perhaps Turkey) in that it is not a national, but a dynastic power, composed of unrelated states or lands, with people speaking different languages, mixed races widely different in character. These were gradually aggregated under one head or ruling family, the Hapsburgs, who as Archdukes of Austria occupied the elective position of German Emperors for several generations, and after the collapse of the Empire, in 1806, retained the title and called themselves Emperors of Austria.
The Kingdom of Hungary alone (which was joined to the Hapsburg dominions by election of its people in 1526, and under new relations in 1867), with at least 50% Hungarians, is a national unit with a national language (Magyar), while all other parts have in their composition preponderatingly Slavish population, although German elements have the ascendancy more or less everywhere.
Not less than 10 different languages are spoken among the forty odd million people, of whom the Germans comprise about one-quarter, the Hungarians one-third, the balance being Slavs.