Habsburská šlechta – Županič Jan (2023)

For centuries, the nobility represented the traditional leading class of European society, and in earlier times, significant privileges in political, economic, and social spheres were associated with belonging to this estate. However, after the adoption of the constitution and the establishment of equality before the law in the Danube monarchy, which included the Czech lands, the nobility transformed in the mid-19th century into a special kind of state honor, distinguished from others primarily by its hereditary nature. Perhaps for this reason, the noble title continued to hold considerable prestige, and many significant and wealthy individuals did not hesitate to exert effort to obtain it. But how could one achieve this honor? What role did merit play, and what role did money? Was it possible to lose nobility? Could only Christians join the nobility, or could individuals of other faiths as well? How was the nobility hierarchized during the time of the Austrian Empire? Were there differences between old and new families? These are just some of the questions that this book – the first of its kind – answers. The publication was awarded by the Czech Literary Fund in 2024 as the best book in the field of science and professional literature with the Josef Hlávka Prize and in the competition for the Miroslav Ivanov Prize, in the same year,…