Možnosti a limity společenského vzestupu podnikatelů z českých zemí prostřednictvím nobilitací v 18. století a v první polovině 19. století

Abstract

The research delves into the possibilities and limits of the social rise of entrepreneurs from the Bohemian lands via ennoblement during the 18th and first half of the 19th century. The matter is analysed from three distinct and interwoven angles: a) within the framework of the evolution of legal and administrative standards and traditions defining the limits of the ennoblement policy executed by the rulers and competent court authorities (taking into account the impact of relevant provincial instances); b) in terms of the effect of the modernization of the late estates society and its gradual shift to civil society; and c) in terms of the contemporary entrepreneurial group and their aspirations for social advancement. This combination of outlooks enables a more inclusive comprehension of the topics under study and also a partial reinterpretation of some views in the existing historiography.