Diplomatic Activities of Gregory of Heimburg at the Bohemian Royal Court through the Lens of the Collection “Cancellaria regis Georgii”

Abstract

The Cancellaria regis Georgii, a distinctive compilation of documents from the late 1460s, was assembled at the court of King George of Poděbrady. Earlier scholarly works have highlighted the crucial role of the German jurist Gregory of Heimburg in shaping this collection and his considerable impact on the foreign policy initiatives of King George’s court. However, only through recent editorial endeavours have comprehensive answers emerged regarding the assessment of Heimburg’s actions, which can now be reconstructed from the aforementioned collection. This process also involves an analysis of the extensive networks of social connections that were mobilized. Although these actions failed to convince Pope Paul II to halt his pressure on King George, they were successful in alleviating some of its most detrimental effects by garnering support from various domestic and international allies. The paper will examine and present Heimburg’s strategies as encoded in the collection.