Publication details
Čechy a říše: problém pramenů nebo historiografie?
| Title in English | The Czech Lands and the Holy Roman Empire: the Problem of the Primary Sources or Historiography? |
|---|---|
| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2013 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | Český časopis historický |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | History |
| Keywords | the Holy Roman Empire; the Przemyslids; 10th-12th centuries; identity; otherness |
| Description | This study emerged with the aim of confronting the picture of the Bohemians in the early medieval Czech sources before 1200 AD with the perceptions in documents which originated outwith the territories of Bohemia and Moravia. Their starting point is the notion that identity is formed on the boundary between self-concept, self-representation and our self-reflection drawn from our communication with the "others". It is evident that the picture of the Bohemians in Imperial documents gradually developed from that of the image of a tributary ethnic group, living beyond the boundaries of the Empire, and reigned over by a fully dependent ruler up to the concept of the Czech Prince as one of the Princes of the Holy Empire, who stood at the head of a specific ethnic group which is always placed alongside the "Teutones", yet sometimes at the same level as the Bavarians and Saxons. In some instances, even the 12th century chroniclers embraced the notion that the Bohemians were mere barbarians. Yet, it is necessary to note that these chroniclers were only interested in the Bohemians when these happened to challenge the Imperial authority. On the other hand, the relationship of the Czech Lands to the Holy Roman Kings was ever more important for the authors at home as it was one of the sources of their self-identification, together with both the simultaneous picture of the common history and the cult of St. Wenceslas. Whereas the Imperial chroniclers considered whatever claim raised by Roman Kings or Emperors as being within their undisputed competence, the local chronicles attempted to define it more specifically. However, they had no objections to the notion of being a part of the Empire – Cosmas adopts any stereotypes found in the chronicles from which he had borrowed. |
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