The formation of dynasties. Memory and house laws in the case of the Counts of Holstein-Schaumburg, Lippe and Waldeck (1300-1650)

长期以来，学者们一直认为贵族王朝在前现代历史上的作用是重要的。它们既是传递和保护权力、财产和土地的框架，也是国家形成过程中的推动者。然而，关于王朝的内部谈判过程，以及一个王朝最初是如何形成和确立自己的问题，人们所知的要少得多。该项目的前提是，制度化进程始于中世纪晚期，表现为形成了一种独特的记忆文化，以及重新安排了贵族家庭成员之间关系的某些规范和惯例。本项目以三个社会、经济和政治地位具有可比性的公馆(荷斯坦-绍姆堡、利普和沃德克)为例，分析了不同的王朝建立策略。在这一背景下，王朝被理解为加强社会关系的社会制度，这些社会关系通过特定的内部表现形式，如历史学、纪念品和艺术，以及由家庭法律的实施来象征性地表现出来。此外，该项目还分析了出现的王朝价值观和规范如何影响家庭成员的个人做法。其基本假设是，贵族通过加强王朝秩序，在充满活力的早期现代社会中成功地保持了自己的社会和政治地位。同时，强调了冲突、违反准则和争取解释性主权的斗争在这一形成过程中的重要作用。

The role of noble dynasties in pre-modern history has long been viewed by scholars as significant. They were focused on both as a framework for passing on and safeguarding power, property and land, as well as agents in the process of state formation. Far less is known, however, about the internal negotiation processes of dynasties, and questions regarding how a dynasty formed and established itself in the first place. The project is based on the premise that processes of institutionalisation began in the late Middle Ages finding their expression in the formation of a distinct memory culture and certain norms and practices that rearranged the relations between the noble family members. Using the example of three comital houses (Holstein-Schaumburg, Lippe, and Waldeck), which are comparable with regard to their social, economic and political status, this project analyses the different strategies of dynasty building. Dynasties are understood in this context as social institutions in terms of strengthened social relations that were symbolically displayed by specific forms of internal representation such as historiography, memoria and art, as well as regulated by the implementation of house laws. Furthermore, the project analyses how the dynastic values and norms, which emerged, affected the individual family members practices. The underlying assumption is that the nobility succeeded in holding its social and political position in the dynamic early modern society by strengthening the dynastic order. At the same time the important role of conflicts, violations of norms, and the struggle for interpretative sovereignty in this formation process is stressed.