Nobel senior officials. Self- and external perceptions of a social formation.

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Ulrike Ludwig
• Subject Area: Early Modern History
• Term: from 2010 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 187401469

The early modern period was marked by a fundamental change in the administering of governance in Europe. At the head of this transition were public officials. A large amount of historical research has examined the work of these officials, especially as it pertained to them being a new type of civic elite. But most senior officials from the 16th to the 18th century were not bourgeoisies, but rather noblemen who represented a contrast to the growing power of the territorial state. The project examines, this under-researched group of noble senior officials as a special functional elite. The aim of the project is to develop a typology of the self- and external perceptions of this social formation of noble officials. The project explores how nobles understood their status of noble birth on one side, and the work as a senior official at the other side. In which ways did they develop a shared sense of identity and special type of collectivization/ grouping? And which kinds of perceptions were important for these processes?Additionally, the project compares multiple territories to see if different noble landscapes and different types of territorial governance impacted these developments. Saxony and Upper Lusatia, and Sweden and (Swedish-)Pomerania form the backdrop of this study. This four territories (and noble-landscapes) are in a special way connected: they were connected as mother-country and province in the course of the Thirty Years War. These developmental conditions offer a wonderful window into the self- and external perceptions of nobles during a major transitory period, and therefore a chance to enrich our historical understanding of a central period.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants