The relations of the Teutonic Order in Prussia with the local nobility in the 13th-early 16th century. Scope of issues, research state and research perspectives
The article deals with social history issues, including social categorization. The first part presents the problems encountered by historians dealing with questions concerning nobility in late-mediaeval Prussia. It is still not clear who should be considered ‘nobility’ in this country. This fundamen...
Bewaard in:
| Gepubliceerd in: | URI:https://journals.openedition.org/cdlm, |
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| Hoofdauteur: | |
| Formaat: | Article ou chapitre numérique |
| Taal: | Anglais |
| Gepubliceerd in: |
Cahiers de la Méditerranée
2023
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| Onderwerpen: | |
| Online toegang: | Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM Accès Université d'Orléans et IFPM |
| Samenvatting: | The article deals with social history issues, including social categorization. The first part presents the problems encountered by historians dealing with questions concerning nobility in late-mediaeval Prussia. It is still not clear who should be considered ‘nobility’ in this country. This fundamental question has not been sufficiently researched in over 150 years of regional historiography, comprised of both German- and Polish-language scholarly publications. The author shows the wide social diversity of this category in Prussia, although it has been classified as nobility by various researchers in past publica-tions, or at least tacitly considered as noble. These classification difficulties result not only from social diversity, but also from the dynamism of the social changes that took place in Prussia between the 13th and the beginning of the 16th century. This article presents a set of criteria used in European historiography to identify the noble class, some of which can be traced back to the social reality of late-medieval Prussia. The second part of the article presents the most significant aspects of the relation between the Teutonic Order and the nobility in Prussia. Three levels of relations are identified: the relationship between the Order as a religious and ruling corporation in the country, and the nobility as a social class or social group; the relationship between the Order and individual noblemen; and the interactions of individual members of the Teutonic Order with individual nobles. |
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