"The Princely State and the Noble Family: Conflict and Co-operation in the Margraviates Ansbach-Kulmbach in the Fifteetnth and Sixteenth Century," The Historical Journal 49, no. 1 (2006), 1-21. (original) (raw)

The paper examines the interplay between the nobility and princely states in the Margraviates of Ansbach-Kulmbach during the fifteenth and sixteenth centuries, challenging the traditional view of a crisis-stricken nobility. It posits that the success and power of noble families stemmed from strategic alliances with territorial princes, particularly through the acquisition of pledges and district governorships. This relationship allowed noble families to accumulate wealth and play significant political roles, transforming the historical understanding of the late medieval German nobility.