The Court Historian. The International Journal of Court Studies, Volume 31, Number 1

The journal The Court Historian has published a special issue (Vol. 31, No. 1, April 2026) titled Between Centre and Periphery: The Shaping of Court Culture in the Bohemian Kingdom. A total of six leading Czech historians present the history and current state of research in the field of court studies in the Czech lands during the Middle Ages and the early modern period. This is the first comprehensive overview intended for an English-speaking audience. The Court Historian. The International Journal of Court Studies is a leading journal in the field of court studies, covering all aspects of court life, from politics, palaces, and warfare to clothing, dining, and gardens. Citation metrics: 0.2 (2024) CiteScore (Scopus); 0.101 (2024) SJR.

The thematic issue of The Court Historian is devoted to the formation of court culture in the Kingdom of Bohemia from the Middle Ages to the early modern period. In their contributions, six scholars offer an interdisciplinary perspective on various aspects of court studies and their historiographical interpretation. Jan Zelenka examines the development of the Přemyslid dukes’ court and considers the applicability of selected models derived from studies of foreign courts. Dana Dvořáčková-Malá analyses, through the example of King Wenceslas II and Queen Guta, the significance of literary self-representation as a key element of court culture. Eva Doležalová focuses on the court of the Prague (arch)bishops and explores how its development reflected the evolving relationship between ecclesiastical and secular authority in pre-Hussite Bohemia. Using the example of the Lords of Rosenberg, Robert Šimůnek highlights the importance of court studies for understanding the history of the Bohemian nobility. Jiří Hrbek turns to the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, analysing the presence – or, more precisely, the absence – of the Habsburg court in the Bohemian lands. The volume concludes with a contribution by Michal Vokurka on the significance of Baroque gardens as courtly spaces in Bohemia.

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