Between the storms. Book Review: Kurfürst August von Sachsen. Ein nachreformatorischen «Friedensfürst» zwischen Territorium und Reich. Dresden: Sandstein, 2017. 240 S.

Abstract

The review covers the state of the problem of characteristics of the life and activities of Elector Augustus I of Saxony in the contemporary modern historiography. The materials of the collection “Kurfürst August von Sachsen. Ein nachreformatorischen “Friedensfürst” zwischen Territorium und Reich” which was published for the 500^th anniversary of the Reformation. The basis of the collection consists of materials from a scientific conference that held in Torgau and Dresden from 9th to 11th July 2015 are analysed. It is shown that the authors of the articles paid attention to various aspects of Augustus’ person such as: his activities as a politician who was “between territories and Empire”; decision of the problems of economic, administrative, church development of Saxony; representation of court life; features of musical art at the court of the Saxon elector. It is noted that the collection of materials reveals the role of Elector Augustus of Saxon as a representative of a new type of post-Reformation territorial princes – the ruler of the confessional state within the “Old Empire”. The authors of the collection articles paid attention to the problems of the political, economic, social, church history of Saxony, the development of law, culture and art during the period of Augustus’ ruling. It is concluded that the authors of the articles of the collection “Kurfürst August von Sachsen. Ein nachreformatorischen "Friedensfürst" zwischen Territorium und Reich” revealed a number of aspects of the activities of Augustus I that heretofore were studied in the historiography insufficiently. It is indicated that the long period of the Elector Augustus’ ruling, during which a large-scale modernization of the foundations of the land statehood of Saxony took place, should be studied in the future more deeply.