The Long Beginnings of Central Eastern Europe
| Authors | |
|---|---|
| Year of publication | 2013 |
| Type | Article in Proceedings |
| Conference | Violence or Consensus? Cohesive Forces in Early and High Medieval Societes (9th-14th c.) |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Field | History |
| Keywords | East Central Europe; Mediaeval Society; Czech Lands; Poland |
| Description | We can take the Long beginnings of Central Eastern Europe as opportunity to reflect on the question of what indeed was this Region born. It is perhaps neither possible to deny that the Frankish and later, the Ottonian rulers also tried to enforce their authority beyond the Eastern border of the Empire and they did not flinch from using great violence. However, the consistent and at times ill-considered pressure from their powerful Western neighbour led to a search for greater legitimacy, which the Přemyslid princes found in feudal pledges, and the Piasts found at the Papal See. Papal protection secured the boundaries of the Gniezno archbishopric and thus indirectly lent the Piast lands external stability, while feudal obligations introduced the Přemyslids into the society of the court, which made Prague into a kind of gateway to the world of the Imperial princes. So, not violence "or" consensus, but violence from which arose not just "medieval" Central Eastern Europe. |
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