Historical Journal, Vol. 75 No. 1, 2022.
Original scientific paper
King Otto IV’s Donation of the Margraviate of Istria to the Patriarchate of Aquileia: Augsburg, 13th of January, 1209
Josip Banić
Abstract
The author analyzes the donation charter issued by King Otto IV during the Diet of Augsburg to Patriarch Wolfger and the Church of Aquileia, bestowing upon the recipient the temporal jurisdiction over the Margraviate of Istria. The charter has remained unedited and unknown to historiography to this day, fostering some erroneous interpretations of the events and circumstances that led to this fateful event in January of 1209. First, the author explicates the context surrounding the issuing of this donation charter, showing that newly recognized King Otto IV had much to gain from allying with Patriarch Wolfger. Second, the charter is analyzed from a diplomatic point of view, showing that the document, preserved only as a vidimus from 1303, is indeed authentic. The author concludes by viewing the donation through analytical lenses of Marcel Mauss’s theory of the gift. The paper ends with the critical edition of the charter and its translation into contemporary English.
Keywords
Patriarchate of Aquileia; Istria; Holy Roman Empire; Otto IV; 13th century; diplomatics; gift
Hrčak ID:
285293
URI
Publication date:
9.11.2022.
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