Publication details
Pfand in Krieg und Frieden : Die Verpfändung von böhmischen Kron- und Kirchengütern unter Sigismund von Luxemburg
| Title in English | Pledge in War and Peace : The Pledging of Bohemian Crown and Church Properties under Sigismund of Luxembourg |
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| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2022 |
| Type | Article in Periodical |
| Magazine / Source | VSWG : Vierteljahrschrift für Sozial- und Wirtschaftsgeschichte |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Web | https://doi.org/10.25162/vswg-2022-0008 |
| Doi | http://dx.doi.org/10.25162/vswg-2022-0008 |
| Keywords | Middle Ages; financial history; pledging; Sigismund of Luxemburg; Bohemia |
| Description | This study analyses the pledge policy of Sigismund of Luxembourg in the Czech lands. First, the current state of research in Czech historiography is summarised. In it, Sigismund's pledge policy is treated mainly in connection with the secularisation of church estates during the Hussite Revolution. This is often combined with a negative portrayal of the last Luxembourger as a bad steward. In the second part, the sources and their transmission are presented. These include about 580 pledges which allow a detailed analysis. The conclusion is devoted to individual forms of pledge. In accordance with contemporary perception, the pledges of church and chamber property are treated separately. At the same time, the changes in Sigismund's pledge policy in the course of his rule over Bohemia are traced. It will be shown that pledges were an important political instrument for Sigismund. It secured the financing of wars, and at the same time it also served to settle conflicts and secure stability after the conclusion of the Hussite revolution. To this end, an attempt was also made to quantify the total amount of pledges that were placed on the chamber and church estates in Bohemia during Sigismund's reign. |
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