KLAUS OSCHEMA (Heidelberg)
Freund oder Favorit: Strategien zur Gewinnung und Sicherung von Gunst
SEBASTIAN ZANKE (München/Speyer)
Herrschaft und Krise: Die Dynamik (in) der Beziehung
The panel discusses the phenomen of favouritism at medieval European courts by focusing on the concept of ‘favour’. This topic will be approached in four perspectives: the concept of ‘favour’ granted or withdrawn by the ruler, courtiers’ strategies for gaining benefits, the rivalries between different courtly groups and the influence of historical developments on the rise and fall of favourites. On a methodological level, traditional interpretations and the importance of underlying structures, like social networks and unwritten rules, will be reconsidered and concepts of friendship and trust discussed in order to gain new insights into a basic phenomenon of socio-cultural history.