Citizenship and Identity in a Multinational Commonwealth: Poland-lithuania in Context, 1550-1772 (Studies in Central European Histories, 46)

This volume seeks to address the doubts harboured by the West about the ability of East Central European states to build modern democracies and tolerant societies after the expansion of the European Union eastwards. The tradition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is thereby often overlooked in favour of the nationalist romanticism and xenophobia of the nineteenth and early twentieth century, which arose from the specific context of the partitions of 1772-95. Yet citizenship in a multinational context was a central theme of the political debate in early modern Poland-Lithuania. For many contemporary religious and national conflicts, this Commonwealth cannot be a direct model for imitation, but may serve as a source of inspiration due to the creative solutions and compromises it negotiated while integrating many faiths and ethnicities.Contributors are James B. Collins, Karin Friedrich, Gershon David Hundert, Joanna Kostyło, Krzysztof Łazarski, Allan I. Macinnes, Barbara M. Pendzich, Felicia Roşu, Barbara Skinner, and Artūras Vasiliauskas. This Volume Seeks To Address The Doubts Harboured By The West About The Ability Of East Central European States To Build Modern Democracies And Tolerant Societies After The Expansion Of The European Union Eastwards.--book Jacket. Monarch, Citizens, And The Law Under Stefan Batory : The Legal Reform Of 1578 / Felicia Roșu -- Citizenship In The Periphery : Royal Prussia And The Union Of Lublin 1569 / Karin Friedrich -- The Practice Of Citizenship Among The Lithuanian Nobility, Ca. 1580-1630 / Artūras Vasiliauskas -- Civic Resilience And Cohesion In The Face Of Muscovite Occupation / Barbara M. Pendzich -- Identity Formation In The Polish-lithuanian Commonwealth / Gershon David Hundert -- Khmelnytsky's Shadow : The Confessional Legacy / Barbara Skinner -- Commonwealth Of All Faiths : Republican Myth And The Italian Diaspora In Sixteenth-century Poland-lithuania / Joanna Kostylo -- 'county Republicans' And The Concept Of Active Citizenship In Sixteenth-century Poland And France / James B. Collins -- The Hidden Commonwealth : Poland-lithuania And Scottish Political Discourse In The Seventeenth Century / Allan Macinnes -- Freedom, State And National Unity In Lord Acton's Thought / Krzysztof Łazarski. Edited By Karin Friedrich And Barbara M. Pendzich. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [279]-299) And Index. This volume seeks to address the doubts harboured by the West about the ability of East Central European states to build modern democracies and tolerant societies after the expansion of the European Union eastwards. The tradition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is thereby often overlooked in favour of the nationalist romanticism and xenophobia of the nineteenth and early twentieth century, which arose from the specific context of the partitions of 1772-95. Yet citizenship in a multinational context was a central theme of the political debate in early modern Poland-Lithuania. For many contemporary religious and national conflicts, this Commonwealth cannot be a direct model for imitation, but may serve as a source of inspiration due to the creative solutions and compromises it negotiated while integrating many faiths and ethnicities. Contributors are James B. Collins, Karin Friedrich, Gershon David Hundert, Joanna Kostyło, Krzysztof Łazarski, Allan I. Macinnes, Barbara M. Pendzich, Felicia Roşu, Barbara Skinner, and Artūras Vasiliauskas This volume seeks to address the doubts harboured by the West about the ability of East Central European states to build modern democracies and tolerant societies after the expansion of the European Union eastwards. The tradition of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth is thereby often overlooked in favour of the nationalist romanticism and xenophobia of the nineteenth and early twentieth century, which arose from the specific context of the partitions of 1772-95. Yet citizenship in a multinational context was a central theme of the political debate in early modern Poland-Lithuania. For many contemporary religious and national conflicts, this Commonwealth cannot be a direct model for imitation, but may serve as a source of inspiration due to the creative solutions and compromises it negotiated while integrating many faiths and ethnicities. Contributors are James B. Collins, Karin Friedrich, Gershon David Hundert, Joanna Kostylo, Krzysztof Lazarski, Allan I. Macinnes, Barbara M. Pendzich, Felicia Rou, Barbara Skinner, and Artras Vasiliauskas. Monarch, citizens, and the law under Stefan Batory : the legal reform of 1578 / Felicia Rou Citizenship in the periphery : royal Prussia and the Union of Lublin 1569 / Karin Friedrich The practice of citizenship among the Lithuanian nobility / Arturas Vasiliauskas Civic resilience and cohesion in the face of Muscovite occupation / Barbara M. Pendzich Identity formation in the early modern Polish commonwealth / Gershon David Hundert Khmelnytsky's shadow : the confessional legacy / Barbara Skinner Commonwealth of all faiths : republican myth and the Italian diaspora in sixteenth-century Poland-Lithuania / Joanna Kostylo 'County republicans' and the concept of active citizenship in sixteenth-century Poland and France / James B. Collins The hidden commonwealth : Poland-Lithuania and Scottish political discourse in the seventeenth century / Allan Macinnes Freedom, state and "national unity" in Lord Acton's thought / Krzysztof Lazarski. This work is an attempt to change thinking not only on the political practice and the role of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth in a European context (both East and West), but to also connect the early modern past with present notions of citizenship and participatory political systems.