Der Landesfürst als Lehensherr : urkundliche Quellen zum Lehenswesen in den habsburgischen Erblanden des Spätmittelalters

Abstract

The study is dedicated to an reappraisal of the sovereign's fief policy in late middle age Austria. While the older research tendencies were mostly based on the idea of a slightly declining system signed by a rigid formalism, a new analysis of the fief structures in the hereditary territories of the Habsburg dynasty shows a slightly different picture. The anatomy of fief letters and books, reverses and letters of conveyance show that the increasing literacy transformed fiefdom into one of the central playgrounds of sovereign chancelleries. Mostly in case of dominion divisions or changes in late medieval rulership that vassality became important. Despite the reification of fiefdom, territorial rule and vasality do not oppose each other. The sovereign fiefdom in the 14th and 15th century is considered as an important often monetarised instrument among others, used to enhance and consolidate the sovereign's rule.