Media and transfer processes of the Court Culture in the Holy Roman Empire around 1700

• Applicant: Professorin Dr. Ulrike Seeger
• Subject Area: Art History
• Term: from 2012 to 2018
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 213553926

The extension and reconstruction work of court residences in South-western Holy Roman Empire were the result not only of the damages caused by the War of the Palatinate succession (Nine Years War 1688-97) but also to a great extent consequences of the competition, produced by the elevations of numerous princely families during the Thirty Years War. There were varied efforts to answer the new demands on Court Culture. Since 1704 Duke Eberhard Ludwig of Württemberg developed Ludwigsburg gradually from a hunting-lodge to a Residential Palace. He used especially the media of copper engravings both as stylistic guidelines for the artists coming particularly from Prague and as a means to communicate to a European public his visions of constructing. The present research aims at understanding the Dukes intentions by using engravings and to identify the intended recipients. Furthermore it will be investigated how processes in question of taste emerged with regard to the two neighbouring publishing centres Paris and Augsburg. For this undertaking there is a good basis thanks to the availability of sources which have allowed previous researchers to understand the history of construction and the origins of the artists. By contrast, the present study will focus on questions which have not yet been covered by previous research.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• Co-Investigator: Professorin Dr. Katharina Krause