The Jagiellon Dynasty, 1386–1596
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Book Series
East Central Europe, 476–1795 AD/CE, vol. 5
Courtiers and Court Life in Poland, 1386–1795
Bożena Czwojdrak (ed)
- Pages: approx. 300 p.
- Size:156 x 234 mm
- Illustrations:6 maps b/w
- Language(s):English
- Publication Year:2025
- € 90,00 EXCL. VAT RETAIL PRICE
- ISBN: 978-2-503-61073-3
- Hardback
- Forthcoming (Jan/25)
- € 90,00 EXCL. VAT RETAIL PRICE
- ISBN: 978-2-503-61074-0
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- Forthcoming
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This volume unravels the workings of Poland’s royal courts from the late medieval era to the eighteenth century, offering studies that explore the evolving roles of courtiers. It positions them in wider socio-political and cultural contexts while examining their relationships with monarchs, the ideals of courtly service, and the impact of both domestic and foreign influences.
Subject(s)
BIO
Bożena Czwojdrak is a Polish medievalist, professor in the Institute of History at the University of Silesia in Katowice. She is the author of “Rogowscy herbu Działosza podskarbiowie królewscy”, Katowice 2002, “Jastrzębce”, Kraków 2007, and “Zofia Holszańska”, Warszawa 2012, a pioneering study of queens and queenship in the context of the late medieval royal court. Her publications centre on the genealogy of the nobility and magnates as well as aspects of royal court as a space in late medieval Poland.
Summary
This collection of studies explores the complexities of the royal courts of Poland from the late medieval period to the cusp of modernity. Drawing on pioneering research and primary sources, the volume authors dissect the multifaceted roles and dynamics of courtiers, positioning them within the broader socio-political and cultural paradigms of their time. From the distinct cultural imprints of the Jagiellon dynasty to the challenges faced by monarchs elected during the eighteenth century, each study within this collection provides a rigorous examination of courtly structures, influences, and transformations.
The volume examines the symbiotic relationships between courtiers and monarchs, the changing ideals of courtly service, and the impact of both domestic traditions and foreign influences on the Polish courts. It offers invaluable insights for scholars of court culture, bringing to the world stage evidence from the archives of Poland and seeking to understand the evolution of court life and its implications for the broader historical narratives of Poland throughout the entire existence of this composite monarchy.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
The Polish Courtier: A Background to the Profile
DARIUS VON GÜTTNER SPORZYŃSKI AND BOŻENA CZWOJDRAK
Chapter 1. Court Culture in Poland during the Reign of the First Jagiellon Monarchs
PIOTR WĘCOWSKI
Chapter 2. The Structure and Development of Rulers’ Courts in Late Medieval Poland
BOŻENA CZWOJDRAK
Chapter 3. A Courtier in the Service of Sigismund I the Elder
MAREK FERENC
Chapter 4. King’s Courtiers in the Queen’s Service. The Ideal Courtier at the Royal Courts of the Wives of King Sigismund II Augustus (1543–1566)
AGNIESZKA JANUSZEK-SIERADZKA
Chapter 5. The Gentlemen at Arms (aulici) of King Stephen Báthory
DOMINIK KADZIK
Chapter 6. A ‘Polish’ Courtier in the Service of the House of Vasa (1587–1668)
ALEKSANDRA BARWICKA-MAKULA
Chapter 7. Men in the Service of the King: At the Court of Michael Korybut–Wiśniowiecki (1669–1673) and John III Sobieski (1674–1696)
ALEKSANDRA SKRZYPIETZ
Chapter 8. A ‘Polish’ Courtier in the Service of the House of Wettin (1697–1763)
KATARZYNA KURAS
Chapter 9. The Courtier and Social Changes in the Age of Enlightenment (1764–1795)
ANGELA SOŁTYS
Glossary
Index
