Monday, September 13, 2010

Franz Nopcsa: the Gay Hungarian Paleontologist who Founded Modern Albania

Baron Franz von Nopcsa was born into a wealthy noble family in Transylvania, then part of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. When he was growing up, he and his sister discovered some fossils on their family’s estate. This sparked Franz’s life-long interest in the study of extinct beasts and the discovery of their remains; indeed, he decided to make Paleontology his profession.

Nopcsa became famous for fossils he discovered in his native Transylvania. Many of his discoveries dated from the Cretaceous Period (120 - 65 million years ago), during which Transylvania was an island (called Hateg Island).

The Hateg Island dinosaurs that Nopcsa discovered all had something in common: they were small. Indeed, many of them simply seemed to be smaller versions of other, better known dinosaurs.

Many scientists of the day explained this away by saying that Nopcsa had discovered juvenile specimens of other dinosaurs, but Nopcsa had a different idea. He put forth the theory of Island Dwarfism: that animals on islands evolved to be smaller due to fewer resources being available.

Nopcsa’s contemporaries scoffed at this notion of “island dwarfism”, saying that it was speculative, the product of a flamboyant and undisciplined mind. However, today Nopcsa’s theory is widely accepted. Many small island animals have been discovered, including miniature mammoths on Arctic islands, miniature hippos on Mediterranean islands, and even miniature human beings (Homo floresiensis) in Indonesia. Island Dwarfism is also the affliction suffered by the character “Mr. Tusks” in the popular online comic strip Dinosaur Comics.

After finishing his digs in Transylvania, Nopcsa decided to conduct some digs in Albania, which was then part of the Ottoman Empire. But he soon found more than just dinosaurs in Albania.

Nopcsa fell in love with the Albanian countryside and came to appreciate the culture of the Albanian people. He decided that Albania should become independent, and dedicated himself to liberating Albania from the Ottoman yoke.

Nopcsa organized rebellion in Albania and used his personal fortune to bring guns and other weapons to Albania. He even took up arms himself and personally led Albanians in battle against the Turks.

Finally, his hard work paid off. Under the 1913 Treaty of London, Albania became an independent state. (This treaty more broadly ended the First Balkan War).

It was decided that Albania should become a kingdom, but with no native dynasty, an outside monarch would have to be brought in.

Nopcsa very much wanted to be King of Albania. With noble blood and with ties to the closest Great Power (Austria-Hungary), he looked good on paper. There was only one problem: he was gay. Kings were expected to marry and produce heirs, and there was doubt that Nopcsa would do this.

Nopcsa tried to spin his homosexuality as an advantage. Since he found all women equally unattractive, he didn’t really care what woman he married and slept with. Therefore, he proposed selling the title of “Queen of Albania” to the highest bidder. Nopcsa would marry and impregnate whichever woman paid the most; he also proposed spending the winning bidder’s money on building roads and hospitals.

In the end, Nopcsa’s plan failed to convince the right people, and he was passed over for King of Albania. This was the beginning of the end for him.

A few years later, Nopcsa lost his family’s land when Transylvania (which had been Hungarian for nearly a thousand years) was annexed by Romania after World War One under the Treaty of Trianon. He was now poor, and for the first time in his life needed to work for a living instead of going around Eastern Europe digging for dinosaurs and leading rebellions.

Nopcsa moved to Vienna and taught Paleontology classes at the university, but he had a hard time adjusting to having a job. He fell into a deep depression, and died in a murder-suicide with his gay lover.

3 comments:

  1. Bruce, I am very sad that you have not updated your blog recently. It is a highlight of my day.

    ReplyDelete