Balancing Power: Sigismund´s Politics in Constance 1414-1418

The Roman-German, Hungarian and Bohemian King (13681437), Roman-German Emperor since 1433, ruled over a gigantic "Reich". The international highlight of his rule is depicted by his stays in Constance during the Council which took place there from 14141418, where he spent the longest uninterrupted time span in the Empire, namely 459 days in two phases (December 1414July 1415, January 1417May 1418). Older research has postulated two of Sigismund`s "Reichstage" in Constance (February 1415, April/May 1417). The project is divided into three interconnected thematic areas: 1. The theory of whether Sigismund`s stays in Constance cannot be qualified as two "lange Hoftage" will be examined, as their significance for the political action of Sigismund have not been recognized in research. According to latest estimates, Sigismund issued approximately 2,000 charters there for recipients within and outside of the empire. Distribution, contents, circle of recipients, radius of action and symbolic communication of this chancery outflow are to be analyzed. 2. The "Reichskrieg" between King Sigismund and Frederick IV, Duke of Austria, at the time of the Council will be studied, following intensive archival research and the sustainability of conflict resolution and consensus finding are to be examined in this context. 3. The conflict between the Teutonic Order and Poland before King Sigismund and the Council as well as the confrontations between the Order and Poland are to be explored, and the failure of a lasting solution will be addressed. Both conflict cases, though seen to be some of the most well-known events of the Council, have still not been analyzed in detail taking the latest findings of sources into consideration, especially in reference to Sigismund`s scope of action. In all three thematic areas an extensive analysis of the political intentions and strategies and the Sigismund`s scopes of action are to be provided, especially in terms of a "Cultural History of the Political", focusing on symbolic communication (ceremonial, ritual, consensus finding, presentation and demonstration of rule). The fact that Sigismund`s scope of action drew from various aspects of royal resources, but also his diplomacy, decision-making process and methods makes its analysis fascinating. The project`s results are to be published as three monographic papers and will supply new building blocks to the history of the Council of Constance as a "political event", to Sigismund`s political biography, his production of charters and to the topic complex of King and Empire during the Late Middle Ages. First project results are to be presented in Leeds (IMC) in 2015 and the project is to be concluded at an international specialist conference in Constance in 2016.

The FWF project 26524-G18 Suche nach Machtausgleich: Sigismunds Politik 1414-1418 (Quest of balancing power: Sigismunds politics 1414-1418) lasted from April 2014 until October 2017 at the department of Editions and Source Research / MIR of the Institute of Medieval Studies of the Austrian Academy of Sciences in Vienna. Headed by Karel Hruza Historians from Germany, Austria, Slovakia and the Czech Republic worked on three blocks of topics. The project team published articles, gave lectures at expert conferences and visited archives in Austria, Poland and Germany in order to find disregarded sources. Within the part of the project Die langen Hoftage Sigismunds während des Konstanzer Konzils (the lange Hoftage Sigismunds during the Council of Constance) Sandra Weiss and Anna Jagoov set up a database with 2669 Regesten which documented scientifically Sigismunds influence in Constance by far more comprehensive than previous source books. A detailed record on names, location register and subject index allow a productive work with the information of the database. Alexandra Kaars text picks out the topic of the two lange Hoftage Sigismunds in Constance and analysis Sigismunds granting charters and his scope of action. The results of this part of the project ought to be published as well as a monograph and online with open access at Regesta Imperii Online.In part two of the project Günter Katzler and Petra Heinicker analysed the Reichskrieg zwischen König Sigismund und Herzog Friedrich IV. von Österreich zur Zeit des Konzils von Konstanz (The Reichskrieg between king Sigismund and Duke Friedrich IVth of Austria at the time of the council in Constance). In several essays it could be remarkably shown how Sigismund was able to solve that broad conflict in his Nahbereich (close range) which changed gravely the German South-West in its political reality and structure using previously disregarded sources. In part three of the project P?emysl Bar investigated the Streit zwischen dem Deutschen Orden und Polen vor König Sigismund und dem Konstanzer Konzil Personen und Kommunikationsstrategien bei der Konfliktlösung (The conflict between the Teutonic Order and Poland brought before King Sigismund and the Council of Constance Involved persons and communication strategies for conflict resolution). Indeed, that conflict had been negotiated in Constance but took actually place in Sigismunds Fernbereich (far range) because it had happened in countries outside of his sphere if control. As specific examples show, a substantial role played the precisely analyzed communication between the in Constance present representatives of the conflict parties and their superordinated principals in north-eastern Europe. The results are available in essays and above all in book format in Czech language Diplomacie, prvo a propaganda v pozdnm st?edov?ku. Polsko-litevsk unie a ?d n?meckch ryt?? na kostnickm koncilu (1414-18) (Diplomacy, Law and Propaganda in the Late Middle Ages: The PolishLithuanian Union and the Order of Teutonic Knights at the Council of Constance [14141418]).