Terra felix - Dějiny Valdštejnova frýdlantského vévodství I. díl: Geneze a rozsah vévodství – Starý Marek (2024)

The Duchy of Frýdlant, that infamous "happy land" (terra felix) of the imperial generalissimo Albrecht von Wallenstein, represents a completely unique and immensely interesting entity in Czech history. Not without reason is the Duchy of Frýdlant considered a state within a state. The extraordinary privileges that Wallenstein managed to secure from Emperor Ferdinand II indeed made it largely independent of the rest of the Kingdom of Bohemia. Wallenstein devoted a great deal of energy and enormous financial resources to the development of Frýdlant, which was elevated to a duchy in 1624 and to a principality three years later, and it became something of a cherished project for him, to which he remained loyal until his violent end. Although extensive archival materials on the history of Frýdlant have been preserved, the existing historiography (including regional) has only addressed them marginally. It can be said that Wallenstein, as a landowner, economist, and exceedingly capable organizer, always remained in the shadow of Wallenstein the politician, military leader, and one of the first movers of European history during the Thirty Years' War. The presented book is therefore conceived as the first step towards a detailed mapping of the fate of Wallenstein's duchy. It introduces readers to the process of its development, analyzes...