The Diplomatic and Legal History of the Luxemburg Dynasty

The reign of the House of Luxemburg and its connection with the destinies of the Holy Roman Empire has never been very thoroughly discussed in the English historical or legal literature. It therefore sometimes happens that in works dealing with the general history of the Luxemburg era statements are encountered which fail in exactitude, and which often can be considered more as an expression of personal opinion than a critical description of historical facts.in some instances erroneous statements even go so far as to attack the actions and character of historical figures of prime importance whose undertakings and sincere intentions were irreproachable and whose acts, if viewed in the light of surrounding events, constituted the only possible and correct solution of contemporary problems.An explanation of these unintentional statements can possibly be traced to the fact that the most readily accessible sources for the study of history of the Holy Roman Empire during the fourteenth century were writings on the subject by German chroniclers and historians, of whom the earlier ones stressed too much the spirit of reformation against anything which had preceded it, while the later German writers, and especially historians of the second part of the nineteenth century, viewed these times from the standpoint of an exclusive nationalism, not hesitating to overemphasize the dynastic efforts of the first Hapsburgs and to overlook at the same time the merits of the reign of the House of Luxemburg.