Habsburg nobility. The transformation of the elites of the Danube monarchy in the long 19th century
Author:
Jan Županič
Year of publication:
2023
Publisher:
Agentura Pankrác
ISBN:
978-80-86781-44-0
For centuries, nobility was the traditional leading class of European society. In earlier times, the title of nobility was associated with significant privileges, especially in the political and juridical spheres, but after 1848 the nobility in the Danube monarchy turned into a special kind of state distinction, which differed from the others mainly by its hereditary character. Perhaps that is why it retained its prestige, and many prominent and wealthy people did not hesitate to go to great effort to join the ranks of the nobility.
This book is the first ever detailed analysis of the development of the noble hierarchy in Austria and Hungary in the so-called long 19th century. On the basis of a thorough analysis of archival resources, it addresses the issues of awarding noble titles, the hierarchy of the nobility, and the social status of persons awarded a noble title.
