Exiled Generation

Focusing on emigres from Baden, Wurttemberg and Hungary in four host societies (Switzerland, the Ottoman Empire, England and the United States), Helena Toth considers exile in the aftermath of the revolutions of 1848-9 as a European phenomenon with global dimensions. While exile is often presented as an individual challenge, Toth studies its collective aspects in the realms of the family and of professional and social networks. Exploring the interconnectedness of these areas, she argues that although we often like to sharply distinguish between labor migration and exile, these categories were anything but stable after the revolutions of 1848-9; migration belonged to the personal narrative of the revolution for a broad section of the population. Moreover, discussions about exile and amnesty played a central role in formulating the legacy of the revolutions not only for the emigres but for their social environment and, ultimately, the governments of the restoration.