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Beiträge zur Rechtsgeschichte Österreichs 5. Jahrgang Band 2 / 2015Frühneuzeitliche Supplikationspraxis und monarchische Herrschaft in europäischer Perspektive
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Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften Austrian Academy of Sciences Press
A-1011 Wien, Dr. Ignaz Seipel-Platz 2
Tel. +43-1-515 81/DW 3420, Fax +43-1-515 81/DW 3400 https://verlag.oeaw.ac.at, e-mail: verlag@oeaw.ac.at |
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DATUM, UNTERSCHRIFT / DATE, SIGNATURE
BANK AUSTRIA CREDITANSTALT, WIEN (IBAN AT04 1100 0006 2280 0100, BIC BKAUATWW), DEUTSCHE BANK MÜNCHEN (IBAN DE16 7007 0024 0238 8270 00, BIC DEUTDEDBMUC)
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Beiträge zur Rechtsgeschichte Österreichs 2 / 2015, pp. 283-296, 2015/12/11
Frühneuzeitliche Supplikationspraxis und monarchische Herrschaft in europäischer Perspektive
The term supplication, which has been the term most commonly used since the late 15th century, describes a written appeal for a favor to which the supplicant has no legal claim. The text type ‘supplication’ can be seen as essential to understanding the relation between sovereign and subjects, authorities and subordinates in the Pre-Modern era. Since the Late Middle Ages this relationship had been significant in forming the characteristics, functioning and dynamics of sovereignty. Whereas Early Modern Period researchers have been studying this topic a lot in the recent years, medievalists still rarely do so. The present paper deals with the beginning of king Maximilian’s reign (the 1490s) and discusses how the royal chancery responded to supplications addressed to the sovereign by his subjects. The study was based on the petitions preserved in the Viennese state archives and focuses on administrative procedures but also on the strategies used by petitioners to obtain the requested favor.
Keywords: supplications, petitioning, Maximilian I, Holy Roman Empire, administration, social history