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 these powerful and influential individuals and families by focusing 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 :
Prof. dr. Ronald Asch (Albert-Ludwig Universität, Freiburg) Prof. dr. Jeroen Duindam (Leiden University) Prof. dr. Bernardo García García (Unversidad Complutense Madrid/Fundación Carlos de Amberes) Prof. dr. Jane Ohlmeyer (Trinity College, Dublin)

Thursday 6 October

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

11.30-12.00 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

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

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

Friday 7 October

9.30-10.15 Keynote lecture :
Prof. Dr. Bernardo Garcia-Garcia : The Glory of the Duke. Restoration and Greatness of the Sandoval Family

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

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

14.45-15.15 Wrap-Up
Prof. Dr. Hamish Scott : Aristocracy, Nobility and the Sense of Dynasty