Kamarák és birodalom A kereskedelmi és iparkamarák szerepe a Habsburg Monarchia neoabszolutista modernizációjában (1850–1867)

Absztrakt

This study explores the establishment and function of chambers of commerce and industry in the Habsburg Empire following the 1848 revolutions, within the framework of „New Imperial History.” It argues that these institutions were not merely economic tools but strategic instruments of imperial integration, bureaucratic modernization, and identity formation. The chambers served as intermediaries between the imperial center and regional elites, facilitating both administrative control and local negotiation. In Hungary, they became arenas for both imperial loyalty and national differentiation, reflecting hybrid identities and contested loyalties. The paper highlights how these institutions contributed to the creation of a modern, centralized state while also enabling local actors to shape imperial policies. By analyzing the chambers as sites of negotiation, knowledge production, and elite formation, the study offers new insights into the governance and modernization strategies of the neoabsolutist Habsburg regime.