PDF《Author(s): Karl A. Sinnhuber》

Europecentrale, Zentraleuropa,Mitteleuropa,I'

Europacentrale, etc.).3 Perusing the literature either devoted to a discussion of the term or giving some attention to it one cannot help but be left with a feeling of absolute confusion. Since this is so 1For full bibliographical details of these and other publications, and those quoted several times, see the bibliography on pages 37-9. References to these are given by quoting the name of the author, and where appropriate the year of publication, followed by the page reference.

2 '

German'

is to be understood here as to mean '

of German mother tongue'

.

3 An indication of the present ambiguity of its meaning is the statement under the entry '

Central Europe'

in Webster'

s geographical dictionary (1949), 211, where this term is called '

indefinite and occasional'

.

15 c CENTRAL EUROPE - MITTELEUROPA- EUROPE CENTRALE would it not be betterto cease using this termaltogether? This step was indeed taken by a number of geographers, though not necessarily for that reason. Many otherswill, however,agreewith P. M. Roxby who wrote (1926, 378) that CentralEuropeis a real entity, a majorregion with a definitepersonality;

4and thus the term becomes indispensable. Before showing by selected examples the great variation in definitions of Central Europe, it seems appropriateto quote some authors who denied its existence altogether or stated that it ceased to exist at a certain time. The Austrian scholar, Erwin Hanslik, stated emphaticallyduring the First World Warthat CentralEuropewas only a phantomof the imaginationand that along a line from Triestevia Vienna, Prague, Breslauto Konigsberg,the east began without any transition.5 Using a somewhat more westerly boundary roughly following the Elbe river,a similarprincipaldivisioninto east and west was used by Sir Halford Mackindershortlyafterthe First World War in his Democratic ideals and reality and in his concept again there was no space for a Central Europe.6 Similarlythe Frenchhistorian,JosephAulneau,wrotein the inter-war period that CentralEurope was no entity and existed only in the minds of the conquerors and writers. As an example of those authoritieswho are of the opinion that CentralEuropeno longerexists, the statementof H. G. Steersmay be quoted: '

Mitteleuropa , that first principle of German geographical thought, has gone ....'

8 Among those who do believein the existenceof CentralEuropewe findthat the conflictof opinionsis evengreaterthanis usuallyappreciated. An indication of this is shown in Figure

1 wherethe boundarylines of maps of various types and of majorseriesof topographicmaps, all bearingthe name '

CentralEurope'

in this or anotherform, areindicatedby differentsymbols. For obviousreasons 4Cf. also E. DE MARTONNE (1930, 3): '

Ainsi 1'

Europe centrale n'

est pas un mot'

. 5'

Es gibt kein Mitteleuropa als natiirlicheund kulturelleWirklichkeit.Bei Triest,Wien, Briinn,Prag,Oderberg,Breslau,Posen und Konigsberghort derWestenauf, setzt der Ostenohne jedenUbergang ein.'

(1917,94).

6 Map '

The real Europe'

(1919, 154). His '

heartland'

(1919, Figure24) is based on a world- wideconceptandmightbe called '

MiddleEurasia'

. W. G. Eaststated '

SirHalfordMackindertoo found reasonto distinguisha middleor transitionalareain Europe,frontingthe inlandBlackand Balticseas,betweenthemaritimeEuropeto thewestandsouthandthepurelycontinentalareawhich stretcheseast of the Volga'