Royal Studies Network, Research Centre on Courts and Residences of the Institute of History of the Czech Academy of Sciences (Web)
Time: 02.-04.09.2025
Venue: Praha
Proposals by: 31.01.2026
The Royal Studies Network and the Research Centre on Courts and Residences of the Institute of History of the Czech Academy of Sciences are delighted to announce that the next Kings & Queens conference will be held in the Czech Republic in Prague. The fifteenth Kings & Queens conference will focus on Kings, Queens and Dynasties in Peril, as 2026 marks the anniversary of several key historical events of 1306, 1526 and 1806, which affected the existence of the Bohemian Kingdom and numerous other dynasties and monarchies, not only in Central Europe.
The assassination of the young King Wenceslas III in 1306 marked the unexpected end of the Přemyslid dynasty. Of the legitimate members of the royal family, only the Přemyslid women and the royal widow remained without any surviving male offspring. A literal game for the throne commenced between the royal men, women and the nobility. After several years of fighting, intrigues and battles, the Luxembourg dynasty emerged victorious. In 1526, the young King of Bohemia and Hungary, Louis II of Hungary-Bohemia, died unexpectedly in the Battle of Mohács, as did numerous leading aristocrats and courtiers. The king was survived by a childless widow, Queen Mary of Austria. His demise left the thrones of both the Bohemian and Hungarian kingdoms vacant, and they were eventually assumed by the Habsburgs. Anna of Hungary-Bohemia, the wife of the new ruler Ferdinand of Austria, gave birth to ten children, who ensured the unique position of the Habsburg dynasty via their marriages. For a long time, the Habsburg Monarchy seemed to be on a trajectory of continued prosperity. Most recently, in 1806, one of Emperor Napoleon’s many moves to threaten the old European monarchies culminated in the formation of the Confederation of the Rhine and the abolition of the Holy Roman Empire. This transformation marked not only the end of one of Europe’s institutions, but also a profound restructuring of dynastic structures. What were the consequences of Napoleon’s actions, which created new royal dynasties, and what was the fate of the men and women of the old and new royal families? Read more … (Web)
Source: HSozKult