Heinricus III. rex pacificus (Az Árpádok és a Német-Római Biroda-lom uralkodóinak kapcsolatáról)
Henricus III Rex Pacificus. Of the Relations between the Árpáds and the Holy Roman Rulers

Summary/Abstract: It is the PhD thesis of the author, written in 2001 on the relations between the kings of the Árpád dynasty and the Holy Roman Emperors, that provides the background for this pa-per, which describes a significant element of Henry III’s policy in Hungary. It compares the narrative of contemporary historiographical literature with the image modern research formed of Henry III’s policy in Hungary, and suggests a new interpretation. Both Hungarian and German research in this subject use categories of political law and follow the traditions of a nation-state view of history. This holds that the Holy Roman rul-ers followed a hegemonic-expansive policy (“ostpolitische Konzeption”) in the states emer-ging in the foreground of the Empire, in opposition to which the leaders of these young states strove to defend their independence. But the annals of Altaich describe the king as a peacemaker, an image that was representative in contemporary literature. The stance of contemporary historiography is rooted in the idea of a sacred-theocratic monarchy, which regards peacemaking as the main duty of the king or the emperor ruling by the grace of God and in his earthly image. In the case of Henry III, the idea of a peacemaking kingdom was most probably not a panegyric-parenetic conception but rather was an essential element in his self-interpreta-tion as a ruler. This seems to be supported by several aspects of Henry’s personality, edu-cation and his diarchy with his father. His peacemaking ambitions are most clearly ex-pressed in the peace indulgences of 1043 and later, during which Henry III, as a postfigu-ration of Christ, orders and creates peace based on mutual forgiveness throughout his em-pire. The events of 1044 in Hungary can bee seen as an organic part of this imperial peacemaking work. Henry proclaimed indulgence on the battlefield of Ménfő, and recon-ciled the reinstalled king, Peter with his subjects. Peacemaking was typical of the Holy Roman rulers, who, as the holders of or heirs to imperial dignity, were the defenders of the order of (Western) Christianity. This compe-tence of theirs has to be seen as a defining factor in their relations to the Árpád dynasty up until the end of the 12th century.

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