city

The case study attempts to review older opinions on the mostly negative impact of the nobility settling down in Hungarian towns. On the example of the free royal city of Trnava (Nagyszombat, Tyrnau), the author analyses the political and economic activities and the lifestyle of the nobility. By the 17th century the towns became temporary or permanent places of residence of the nobility, places where they received education, held official functions, spent their free time, acquired luxurious or precious goods and, last but not least, it was a place where they presented themselves.

In the article author introduces the research agenda and activities of the Section for Urban History of the Slovak Historical Society at the Slovak Academy of Sciences. The Section provides a platform for Slovak historians in field of urban history. Its main purpose is to organize scientific conferences about social, economic, political processes and the cultural life in towns and cities in the past. The author presents a brief summary of scholarly activities undertaken by the Section.