The Emperor's Old Clothes: Constitutional History and the Symbolic Language of the Holy Roman Empire

by Barbara Stollberg-Rilinger

For many years, scholars struggled to write the history of the constitution and political structure of the Holy Roman Empire. This book argues that this was because the political and social order could not be understood without considering the rituals and symbols that held the Empire together. What determined the rules (and whether they were followed) depended on complex symbolic-ritual actions. By examining key moments in the political history of the Empire, the author shows that it was a vocabulary of symbols, not the actual written laws, that formed a political language indispensable in maintaining the common order.

Genres: History

356 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2008

About the author

Barbara Stollberg-Rilinger FBA is a German historian. She studied German language and literature, history and history of art at the University of Cologne, graduating in 1980 and earning a doctorate in 1985.

Reviews

[Hilmar · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bahnbrechend, hoch intelligent!