서양 중세의 명예, 결혼, 정치의 상관성 연구 - 오스트리아의 공작령 승격(1156)과 프리빌레기움 미누스를 중심으로

A Study on the Correlation between Honour, Marriage, and Politics in Medieval Europe : Focusing on the Charter of Austria’s Independence (1156)

This study examines the elevation of the Margraviate of Austria to a Duchy through the issuance of the Privilegium Minus in 1156, tracing the process through which Austria developed an increasingly autonomous political identity. Moving beyond national historiography and Eurocentric paradigms, it recontextualizes the emergence of the Austrian duchy within the wider international politics of the twelfth century. The marriage between Heinrich II Jasomirgott of the Babenberg dynasty and Theodora Komnene, a Byzantine imperial princess, is best understood against the backdrop of military and diplomatic cooperation between the Byzantine and the Holy Roman Empires in the Mediterranean world. Of particular significance is the couple’s role as political agents mediating tensions between these empires in Central Europe. Rather than situating their story solely within the dynamics of two imperial centres, this study foregrounds a more dynamic interplay between centre and periphery. From this perspective, the elevation of Austria and the marriage alliance were not merely the outcome of Byzantine diplomacy but also a product of the Babenbergs’ strategic pursuit of dynastic honour and wealth—key assets in medieval aristocratic society. This strategy enabled them to secure both a prestigious alliance with the Byzantine court and extraordinary concessions from the Holy Roman Emperor, including inheritance through both male and female lines, the right to designate a successor, and unprecedented juridical autonomy, all enshrined in the Privilegium Minus. One central concern of this study is how Theodora’s political status influenced these developments. The unique provision of dual enfeoffment, the privileges granted by the charter, early ducal documents, and her visible diplomatic role in the relationship between the two empires collectively warrant renewed scrutiny. Through the dynastic linkage initiated by Theodora and Jasomirgott, the dukes of Austria steadily increased their honour and wealth via continued intermarriage arising from this imperial connection. In so doing, Austria —once a peripheral territory—gradually emerged not only as a central polity within the Holy Roman Empire but also as a rising actor on the Mediterranean stage.