Early Modern aristocratic families were a dominant force in political, religious and cultural life throughout the early modern period. This conference aims to reconstruct the worldview and motives of the most powerful individuals and families in early modern societies by focussing on their dynastic identities.

Early Modern aristocratic families were a dominant force in political, religious and cultural life throughout the early modern period. This conference aims to reconstruct the worldview and motives of the most powerful individuals and families in early modern societies by focussing on their dynastic identities. 

During this conference speakers from all over Europe will shed light on the dynastic identities of aristocrats from Ireland to Bohemia and from Sweden to Italy.

Keynote speakers are Prof. dr. Ronald Asch, Prof.dr. Jane Ohlmeyer, Prof. dr. Bernardo Garcia-Gracia and Prof. dr. Jeroen Duindam. 

For more information and registration, please visit our website: http://dynasticidentity.let.vu.nl 

PRELIMINARY PROGRAMME 

Thursday October 6 2011 (Day 1) 

9.30-10.00 Welcome (coffee/thee)

10.00-10.10 Introduction (Mirella Marini and Liesbeth Geevers)

10.10-10.15 Introduction by the Arenberg Foundation

10.15-11.00 Keynote lecture: Prof. Dr. Jane Ohlmeyer: Aristocratic Identity Formation in seventeenth-century Ireland

11.00-11.15 Discussion

Discussant: Prof. Dr. Luc Duerloo

11.15-11.30 Break (coffee/thee)

• 11.30-12.00 Mirella Marini: From Arenberg to Aarschot: female inheritance and the disputed “merger” of two aristocratic identities
• 12.00-12.30 Sebastiaan Derks: In Alessandro's Shadow. The House of Farnese and the Politics of History

12.30-12.45 Discussion

Discussant: Prof. Dr. Hans Cools

12.45-13.45 Lunch

• 13.45-14.15 Liesbeth Geevers: The Nassau Orphans: the disputed legacy of William of Orange (1584-1625)
• 14.15-14.45 Jonathan Spangler: Mademoiselle de Guise’s Will and the Transferability of Dynastic Identity
• 14.45-15.15 Fabian Persson: Creating Swedish Aristocrats: the De La Gardies and the Brahes

15.15-15.30 Discussion

Discussant: Prof. Dr. Luc Duerloo

15.30-15.45 Break (coffee/thee)

15.45-16.30 Keynote lecture: Prof. Dr. Jeroen Duindam: Dynastic legitimacy: rulers and elites in Europe and Asia

16.30-16.45 Discussion

Discussant: Prof. Dr. Hans Cools

16.45-17.15 Plenary discussion

Discussants: Prof. Dr. Luc Duerloo, Prof. Dr. Hans Cools and Prof. Dr. Hamish Scott

17.15-18.00 Drinks

18.30- Conference diner 

Friday October 7 2011 (Day 2):

9.00-9.25 Welcome (coffee/thee)

9.25-9.30 Introduction

9.30-10.15 Keynote lecture:

Prof. Dr. Bernardo Garcia-Garcia: The Glory of the Duke. Restoration and Greatness of the Sandoval Family

10.15-10.30 Discussion

Discussant: Prof. Dr. Hans Cools

10.30-10.45 Break (coffee/thee)

• 10.45-11.15 Violet Soen: The Croÿs at the Parlement de Paris: Noble Identity Formation between the Low Countries and France (1520-1580)
• 11.15-11.45 Petr Mat’a: False Orsini from beyond the Alps. Negotiating aristocratic identity between Bohemia, Croatia, Carniola and Carinthia

11.45-12.00 Discussion

Discussant: Prof. Dr. Luc Duerloo

12.00-13.45 Walking lunch in the ‘Hortus Botanicus’

13.45-14.30 Keynote lecture: Prof. Dr. Ronald Asch: The Newcomer’s Dilemma: Henry IV of France and James I of England and their nobilities

14.30-14.45 Discussion

Discussant: Prof. Dr. Hans Cools

14.45-15.15 Wrap-Up

Prof. Dr. Hamish Scott: Aristocracy, Nobility and the Sense of Dynasty

15.15-15.45 Plenary Discussion

Discussant: Prof. Dr. Luc Duerloo, Prof. Dr. Hans Cools and Prof. Dr. Hamish Scott

15.45-16.00 Final word by the organisers

16.00-17.00 Drinks