The Role of Trial by Poison in the Representation of the Power of the Luxembourg Dynasty

Attempts on the Lives of Emperors of the Luxembourg Dynasty 1313–1437

Abstract

The paper uncovers the role of trial by poison in the representation of the power of the Luxembourg dynasty. After the death of Emperor Henry VII, the contemporaneous sources reported poisoning a few days after the Emperor had passed away, with a great outrage. In my study, I intend to explore how the death of Henry VII affected the dynastic memory and the representation of the family. Furthermore, I also intend to focus on how Holy Roman Emperors Charles IV and Sigismund of Luxembourg reflected on the attempts on their lives and what was the role of trials by poison in their representation of power.