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Wirtschaftliche Ungleichheit oder ausgewogene Beziehungen. Das Königreich Ungarn im europäischen Wirtschaftssystem
261-276Views:183The economic division of labour in Europe from the second half of the fifteenth century onwards is clearly visible. Western European historiography focuses primarily on the Atlantic region and Western Europe in its portrayal of the globalising economic system, while Central Europe is very often treated as peripheral. However, this cannot be confirmed by the relevant historical sources. The regions of the Carpathian Basin participated in the continental economic cycle mainly with raw materials, live animals and semi-finished products. Nevertheless, at the beginning of the early modern period, Central Europe and the Hungarian regions were indispensable partners of the Western European regions rather than vulnerable markets.
The period from the second half of the fifteenth century to the first half of the seventeenth century was the last period of (early) modern history in which a more or less balanced system of relations still connected the regions above mentioned. This does not, of course, contradict the part of the classic centre-periphery model that states that the regions of Western and Central Europe had different production profiles from the fifteenth century onwards. While the former had a clear advantage in craft production, the latter concentrated mainly on agricultural products and mining raw materials. Nevertheless, it should be emphasised that in the first half of the early modern period, every region was still able to participate in multilateral trade with numerous goods that other regions needed. None of the regions became the exclusive consumer market for the other. Mutual dependence can be demonstrated in almost all bilateral interregional relationships. -
The Papal State and the Birth of the Modern Fortress: Innovation in Military Construction between the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern Period
149-167Views:207Transformations from the fifteenth to the sixteenth centuries, particularly focusing on the emergence of the angular bastion trace. It argues that this “modern style” of fortification was not merely a response to advances in weaponry but a generative force that reshaped political communities, especially evident in the Papal States. Drawing on Paolo Prodi’s seminal work, the study highlights how these military innovations contributed to the Papal States becoming a prototype of the early modern State. The analysis traces the evolution of papal fortification policy from the mid-fourteenth century, examining initiatives under Cardinal Albornoz and subsequent popes, including significant projects like Rocca Pia and Matteo Nuti’s designs. The “Borgia moment” under Alexander VI is emphasized as a period of unprecedented quantitative and qualitative innovation, characterized by a centralized defensive network and cutting-edge architectural advancements, notably at Nettuno. The essay then details the continuity of this strategic vision under Julius II and Clement VII, despite periods of conflict, illustrating the ongoing integration of military infrastructure with broader state-building objectives. Finally, it notes that this intense period of design and construction preceded the formal codification of fortification treatises, underscoring a unique channel of knowledge transmission.
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Machtverhältnisse in Europa an der Wende vom 15. zum 16. Jahrhundert
9-20Views:205At the turn of the fifteenth to the sixteenth century, Europe experienced profound upheavals that affected politics, society, culture and religion alike. After the population decline caused by the plague and wars, growth began again. Trade, commerce and agriculture flourished, particularly as a result of the overseas discoveries made by Spain and Portugal. Politically, early absolutist structures emerged in Western Europe: in France, England, Spain and Portugal, the influence of the nobility was curtailed in favour of strong monarchies. At the same time, these powers became increasingly expansionist in their foreign policy. In the Holy Roman Empire, however, the situation was more complex: internal conflicts such as the Hussite Wars and ecclesiastical tensions weakened central authority. It was not until Maximilian I that reforms were introduced with the Imperial Chamber Court and Imperial Circles, although the emperor had only limited power. Italy remained politically fragmented, and rival city-states and foreign powers prevented lasting stability. After the Hundred Years’War, France pursued expansion plans in Burgundy and Italy, while in Hungary, after the death of Matthias Corvinus, dynastic ties secured the Habsburgs’; long-term access to Bohemia and Hungary.
Culturally, the Renaissance and Humanism shaped the era. New universities – especially in German-speaking countries – and the invention of printing contributed significantly to the spread of knowledge. At the same time, the Church fell into a deep crisis due to the sale of offices, the indulgence trade and the moral decline of the clergy, which intensified calls for reform. The House of Habsburg, especially under Frederick III and Maximilian I, gained increasing influence through marriage politics and territorial security. The Habsburgs thus laid the foundation for their supremacy in Europe and shaped the balance of power at the beginning of the early modern period.
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“Igni ferroque”. Shaping Early Modern Ukraine History Through Lens of Armenian Sources
217–236Views:67Early Modern Era historical sources, dating back to sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, are crucial for understanding the dynamics of narrative changes between the late Middle Ages and Enlightenment period. Perceived through various lens, they determine (by means of interpretation of myths and symbols) our perception of history till today. This paper could be understood as an attempt to narrate history in a variety of ways inextricably linked to continuous present. The article based on textual analysis of Early Modern Armenian chronicles and colophons originating from Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth (Rzeczpospolita) should help us to better understand the multifaceted phenomenon of “Orient” and “Europe” constructions, especially the concept of frontier Orientalism as well as antemurale myth. Analysed sources offer a glimpse into interpretive “reading” the history of Black Sea region and neighbouring areas from multiple perspectives – through lens of Armenian chroniclers.
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Further Additions to the Export of Wines from the Upper Tisza Region (Mostly Tokaj-Hegyalja) to Krakow (1586–1605)
111–216Views:69During the early modern period in Poland, wine was quite fashionable among both the nobility and the common people, despite the unsuitable climatic conditions for domestic production. Wine had to be imported from abroad. Sources indicate that wine from Hungary, Austria, the Rhine region, Bohemia, Moravia, Romania, Spain, and France, as well as Greek Malvasia, Dalmatian Rivoli, and Venetian Muscat, was already being imported here in the Middle Ages. However, the Polish wine market was almost entirely dominated by Hungarian wines. While the primary sources on the history of the wine trade – the national customs and tax records – were destroyed in both Hungary and Poland; secondary municipal sources survived, and it is in Kraków that they are found in the greatest abundance. These are still accessible today and are excellent for research purposes. Based on customs, wine tax, and cellar records from Kraków, this study examines the wines from the Upper Tisza region (primarily Tokaj-Hegyalja) that generated the highest volume of trade, specifically covering the twenty-year period between 1586 and 1605.
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René d’Anjou in the Twilight of an Era: Last Prince or a “Roi Imaginé”
21-30Views:244The launch of the Italian campaigns and the entry of Charles VIII into Naples in 1494 is a traditional political turning point in French history, on the border between the Middle Ages and the Early Modern period. This foreign political expansion was, of course, due to a number of things, one of which was the takeover of the Angevin inheritance, paved by the death of René of Anjou in 1480. However, the lord of Anjou and Provence was not only a great prince of this period, but his life’s work often crossed the sometimes blurred line between reality and imagination. The kingdoms of the dynastic legacy of the past, never possessed or long lost by the end of the fifteenth century, were revived again in his hands but in many ways for the last time. The presentation will seek to explore the imaginative elements of René’s figure and the extent to which these were perpetuated for a new, “unified” kingdom of France. As he proudly stated in his title: was the King of Jerusalem, Sicily and Hungary really one of the last counts of medieval France or was he already the prince of a new world?
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Political, Cultural, Religious and Economic Transformations in the 15th and 16th Centuries: (Debrecen, 27–28 February 2025)
301-305Views:197This conference delved into a significant period in European history: the transition from the medieval to the early modern era. The specific experiences of Hungary, Poland, Italy, the Baltic East, and the Balkans were profoundly shaped by their proximity to the expansionist Ottoman Empire and geographical location...
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András, Sófalvi, Homoródszentmárton templomvára. Esettanulmány az erdélyi templomerődítések történetéhez (The church-fortress of Mărtiniş. Case study on the history of church fortifications in Transylvania). Cluj-Napoca, Transylvanian Museum Society, 2025
339–342Views:77As the author observes in the introduction, “historical Transylvania is the homeland of church fortresses.” In Székely Land and Saxon Transylvania, this distinctive form of communal self-defence became widespread during the Middle Ages and the early modern period in response to both external threats and internal conflicts. A considerable number of these fortified churches have survived, in varying states of preservation, and continue to attract scholarly attention owing to their imposing architectural presence.