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Introduction
magnateelite,ortheservantsremainingafterthedeathofroyalfa-
voritesandoficials.
Theprocessofcreatingtheimageoftherulerbasedonartisticpatron-
ageisextremelyinterestingandstillrequiresexploration.Thisissueinre-
lationtothecourtofAlbrechtHohenzollerninKönigsbergisexamined
byPiotrBirecki.HeshowsthetransformationofthecourtoftheGrand
MasteroftheTeutonicOrderintoamodern,secularprincelycourtand
thewaysofshapingtheimageofasecularRenaissancerulerthrough
architecture,painting,sculpture,orcraftsmanship.Themodernization
oftheruler’sseat,therenovationofthecathedral,surroundinghimself
withartistsandintellectuals,whohadbeenabsentfromKönigsberguntil
then,ortheparticipationofwomenincourtlylifeweretogiveAlbrecht
themarkingsofasecularandenlightenedrulerfitfortheera.Themeasure
oftheprince’sstatuswastobetheLibraryandUniversityofKönigsberg,
establishedin1544,whichwastocreatethePrussianelite.PrinceAlbrecht
conductedalivelyintellectualandartisticexchangewithneighboring
countriesandtheseactivitieshelpedtosatisfyhismonarchicambitions.
AndrzejK.Kuropatnickidevotedhisstudytotheorganizational
structureoftheTudorcourt,whichwasoneofthemoststableEuro-
peancourts.Inparticular,hefocusesontheactivitiesofthe“Domus
Providenciae”(thehouseholdbelowthestairs),whichwasastructure
managingtheresourcesoftheroyalcourt,aswellasalltheneedsofthe
monarchandhiscourtiers-thesupplyoffood,wine,candles,fuel.
A.K.KuropatnickiisalsointerestedinTheorganizationofthepractical
sideofthelifeoftheTudorcourt,theroyalseatatHamptonCourtand
itsexpansion,theGreatHallasaplacewhereroyalmeetingsandmeals
wereheld,ortheprivatesuitesofthemonarchandtheservants’quarters.
Unfortunately,theextantsourcesallowforalimitedviewofthecourt.
Nevertheless,thesedocumentsprovideaninsightintotheorganization
ofthedailylifeofthecourt,allowingustodeterminethestandardofliv-
ingofthemonarchandhisservants,underscoringthegoodorganization
andmanagementofthecourtduringtheTudorperiod.
AlexanderIsacssonfocusesonthedevelopmentoftheautonomy
ofprincelycourtsinSwedeninrelationtomonarchicalsovereignty.
UsingtheexampleofthecourtofPrinceCharlesVasa,heemphasizes
thatthecourtplayedakeyroleinthelegitimizationofprincelypower.
Followingtheacceptanceofthepatriarchalprincelypowerbyhiscourt,
theprincesoughttousethecourt’sspaceandpeopletopresenthimself
asanalmostfatherlyrulerandasuperior,whosepowerwouldreach
beyondthewallsofhispalace.Isacssondrawsattentiontohow,thanks
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