What single place has been part of most different countries?

Factual Questions
41

Romney, West Virginia bounced back and forth between the Union and the Confederacy a bunch of times; Ripley’s Believe It Or Not claimed it switched hands 53 times, although Wikipedia says it’s closer to 10. Still, that’s only two countries (although France and England had claims to the region prior to 1800).

The Spratly Islands are claimed, wholly or in part, by six countries at present: Brunei, People’s Republic of China, Malaysia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Vietnam.

Eliminating the 1800 rule, Tashkent has been part of the Kangju Confederacy, Sogdians, Turkics, China, Persia, Kara-Khanid, Russia, Mongol Khanate, Kokhand, Soviet Union and Uzbekistan in its recorded history.

42

Clearly, I can’t count – that should have been “five”, not “six”. As at today, a centenarian lifelong inhabitant of Vilnius would have lived under five different flags, some of them for more than one spell.

43

Some more contenders…

Lviv
to 1918 : Austria-Hungary
1918-19: Western Ukraine
1919-39: Poland
1939-41: USSR
1941-44: ‘General Government’ (Nazi occupation)
1944-91: USSR
1991- : Ukraine

Sarajevo
to 1908 : Officially part of the Ottoman Empire; occupied by Austria-Hungary
1908-18: Formally annexed by Austria-Hungary
1918-41: Yugoslavia
1941-45: Independent State of Croatia (Nazi German puppet state)
1945-91: Yugoslavia
1991- : Bosnia & Herzegovinia

Plavje
to 1920: Austria-Hungary
1920-45: Italy
1945-54: Free Territory of Trieste, Zone A
1954-91: Yugoslavia
1991- : Slovenia

44

Pre-1900, a long-lived Vermonter would’ve led an interesting life:

  • subject of the British king until 1776
  • citizen of either New Hampshire or New York, which both claimed the territory
  • citizen of the Republic of New Connecticut, for just six months in 1777
  • citizen of the Republic of Vermont, which lasted from 1777-1791
  • citizen of the United States, after statehood in 1791
45

Thanks for mentioning Lvov! My grandfather was born there in 1901 or 1902 and he considered himself Austrian.

46

It hasn’t changed much in the past 200 years.

Up to 1870: Papal states.

1870-1929: Italy

1929-present: Vatican City

47

Would Castel Gandolfo or Avignon give you a better answer?

48

Ljubljana
to 1919: Austria-Hungary
1919: State of SHS
1919-41: Kingdom of SHS/ Kingdom of Yugoslavia (renamed after coup d’etat in 1928)
1941-43: Italy
1993-45: Germany
1945-91: SFR Yugoslavia
1991 - now: Slovenia

49

I knew those damn Nazis would invent time travel sooner or later.

50

I didn’t know that Ljubljana was subsumed by Italy. According to the wiki page on Ljubljana the Germans just occupied Ljubljana and didn’t officially incorporate it into the German state.

51

Jolly good times yes and a bit hazy too. Italians were there and fully annexed that area. Germans of course didn’t travel the time, it was my typo. But they were there at that time and they did not have any more time this late in war to monkey around with detailed bureaucracy. Just another occupied territory. OTOH, couple of northern suburbs were attached directly to Germany and not Italy.

52

Which territory did the Neue Slowenische Kunst claim? :dubious:

53

Still in dispute. Might be 10 cm above Europe, on the dark side of the Moon, 1 m above Europa or 0,1 mm deep in another dimension.

54

Part of Estonia should be right up there.

1= prior to 13th century independent and uncentralized
2= 13th century part conquered by Denmark, part by the Teutonic Knights
3 = 14th century Denmark sold its part to the TN
4 = 15th or 16th or 17th century became part of (I think) Russian Empire
5 = 16th or 17th century ceded by (I think) Russia to Sweden
6 = 18th century ceded by Sweden back to Russia
7 = 20th century independent for the first time in about 700 years after WW1
8 = 20th century annexed by USSR during WW2
9 = 20th century occupied by Germany during WW2
10 = 20th century reoccupied/annexed by USSR during WW2
11 = 20th century independent after breakup of USSR