Ferdinand z Ditrichštejna a jeho boj o kanonikáty pro syna Waltera Xavera
Ferdinand of Dietrichstein and the canonries for his younger son

A contribution to the communication strategies of the aristocracy of the Bohemian lands in the 17th century

Summary/Abstract: Prince Ferdinand of Dietrichtstein is considered to be one of the best-informed membersof the court of Leopold I. His sophisticated communication strategies belong to favouritetopics among contemporary historians. Furthermore, what draws their attention is hisrich and widely branched informational network. It not only connected him with themost powerful and influential individuals of his time but also with a wide range of apparentlyless important people who provided him with the latest news and valuable services.As Ferdinand of Dietrichstein strove to ensure a future for his son as a high churchdignitary and successor to his famous ancestor Cardinal Francis, he was forced to gatherinformation behind the curtains about the functioning of various church institutions. Hecultivated social contacts with influential and less influential individuals in the hierarchyof the Catholic church, e.g. with the agents who worked in this environment, with thecanons, archbishops and intermediary, as well as with the pope. This particular part ofthe communication network has not been thoroughly explored by the historians yet. Themain aim of the presented study is not and cannot be its complete unveiling, however, thisinteresting topic will be introduced in more detail and it may inspire the ones who areinterested in dealing with the topic of the striving for church offices from the perspectiveof the communication strategies of the particular participants.

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