“Towns between Empires: Good Governance and “Police” in Case Studies from Transylvania, Wallachia, and Moldavia, 1500s–1800s. By Mária Pakucs-Willcocks and Julia Derzsi. Budapest/Vienna: Central European University Press, 2025. Pp. 338. Hardback € 155.00. ISBN 9789633869017.

Key Points

• The aim focuses on understanding the governance and policing structures in Transylvania, Wallachia, and Moldavia during the 1500s to the 1800s.
• Analysis of historical case studies from Transylvania, Wallachia, and Moldavia.
• Exploration of the roles and evolution of policing in different empires.
• Comparison of governance practices across the three regions.
• Identifies variations in police structures and governance reflecting different imperial influences.
• Highlights the impact of historical governance on contemporary systems in the regions studied.
• Reveals the complexities of maintaining order and authority across diverse empires.