Современная историография имперского рыцарства: проблемы и перспективы
Modern historiography of the imperial knighthood: Problems and perspectives

Summary/Abstract: This article reviews the latest research on the history of the imperial knighthood in the Holy Roman Empire. The first attempts to unveil the history of the imperial knights, in a way similar to modern scholarship, were made by German thinkers and date back to the 18th century. They have shaped our current views on this noble class, which is why the influence of the established historiographical tradition on the ideas advocated by present scholars deserves particular attention. Here, the results of recently published studies on the origins of the imperial knighthood, along with its essence, structure, major milestones in its development, political role, and political practices that were employed by knights for their contacts with political actors, are analyzed and used to introduce a comprehensive image of the imperial knighthood as a key political actor of the Holy Roman Empire. From the obtained findings, a perspective on the interpretation of the imperial knighthood as a politically relevant participant group is proposed.

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