Search

The electoral capitulations of the Old German Empire, the Holy Roman Empire, were formulated by the electors and the elected Emperors had to commit themselves to their observance before their coronation. For the constitutional lawyers of the early modern period, they were ‘the quintessence of all imperial laws’ and the German ‘Magna Carta’. Owing to the electoral capitulations, many elements were introduced into the constitution of the Old Empire from 1519 that would later be found in constitutional constitutions, such as a catalogue of fundamental rights. It is therefore justified to speak of proto-constitutionalism with reference to the Old Empire. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Subsistence crises due to famine occurred frequently in early modern Europe. A poor harvest caused by rainy weather was often the trigger for such disaster. But people also looked for scapegoats who could be blamed for the shortage of grain. From the seventeenth century onwards the so-called »corn Jew« became a popular stereotype in diatribes which often had an anti-Jewish undertone. Concomitantly, a new type of anti-Semitic medal made its appearance. These were the so-called »Korn Jude« (Corn or Grain Jew) medals. Most of these medals were struck in Germany and were issued in various forms over a period of almost a century. Two artists seem to have turned the creation of such medals into a veritable hallmark: Christian Wermuth (1661-1739) and, a little later, Johann Christian Reich (1740-1814). This article discusses how the distribution and circulation of the »Korn Jude« medals coincided with periods of rising food prices and famine. It will be shown that these medals were designed to perpetuate the myth about the Jews' responsibility for these hardships and to portray the Jew as a diabolic speculator, particularly in the grain market. They reflect, however, also older traditions of religious intolerance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article discusses the political and social implications of marriages of female members of the House of Habsburg from the late 19th to the mid-20th centuries. The author focuses on a shift away from the established practice of only marrying into other ruling noble families in Europe during this time period toward a less selective pool of potential marriage partners. Aspects considered in detail include Austrian royal marriage laws, dowries, and the attribution of noble ranks and titles to newly married spouses.