Imperial and Princely Court of the Holy Roman Empire in Early Modern in Modern Historiography

Abstract

The article considers the phenomenon of the imperial and princely court of the Holy Roman Empire in the focus of modern historiographical discussion of German historians. What were the new methodological approaches to the study of the court at the end of the 20th century? How strong was the influence of historical sociology and anthropology? What new schools and trends can be identified at the turn of the century? The specificity of the German material is especially emphasized: the need for a comparative study of over 300 residences of the imperial estates in the early modern period. Today, the princely and imperial courts are seen by historians not so much as a political instrument of power, but as a reflection of the diverse social and cultural processes in the society of the beginning of modern times.