The years from 1810 to 1840 deal with one of the most decisive periods in Indiana's history, first as a territory and later as a state. Few periods have seen greater political and material development. During these years great problems, such as the organization of the state government, the disposition of the public lands by the Federal government, and the construction of internal improvements by the national and state governments, had to be solved by those who bore the responsibilities of public office. Great national political movements were in the making. These matured into powerful forces, shaping not only national policies but reaching down and influencing state political and economic alignments and policies. Among the names of families who guided the political affairs of Indiana at the beginning of statehood, none is more prominent than that of Noble. Two Noble brothers, James and Noah, rose to the highest possible positions within the commonwealth. James served as one of the first two United States senators from Indiana, and he continued a member of that body fifteen years,- until his death in 1831. Noah, the younger brother, was elected the fifth Governor of the state in 1831. The third brother, Lazarus, held the Office of Receiver of Public Moneys in the Brookville Land Office. He died at an early age.

During the ``long{\crqq} 19th century, when the principle of nobility as such was in great danger, aristocrats wanted to demonstrate the importance of their family. To do so, they used various forms of the presentation: the appearance of rural residences, building family tombs and participation in exhibitions with historical themes. This thesis takes an interest in the forms of presentation of the nobility by three South-Bohemian noble families {--} Buquoys, Czernins of Chudenice and Schwarzenbergs. It focuses not only on the building activity of aristocrats and the visual representation of the ancientry and the nobility but also on the literary work of archivists and other forms of the presentation. In the 19th century the manors were redone in style of historicism, however, an important role was played by the proprietors themselves, their (artistic) hobbies and ideas about history. In some cases this thesis also uncovers the inspirations and motives that led (the members of the South-Bohemian aristocracy) to such demanding reconstructions.

Diploma thesis Power of the First Generations of the Ronov Noble Family and Their Position Within Czech Mediaeval Society was dealing with the position and power of the first three generations of the representatives of Ronov noblemen in the direct line towards Hynek from Dubá. In the prosopographical part of the thesis the lines of testimony were analysed and these proved clearly that the maximum of their court career was occurring during the reign of Wenceslaus the First. This maximum is also reflected in the other part of the thesis - which is the analysis of possession- holding. At the age of Wenceslaus the First Ronov noblemen built up a vast area of their particular possessions in Northern Bohemia and gradually they were developing colonisation of this region. Even though Ronov noble family did not take up any posts at the court, the exception is the position of Budysin administrator, they created a very tight connection to Premyslid kings due to the common childhood with Wenceslaus the First and they also supported him politically and also militarily in his inner and foreign policy. After the death of Castoslov from Zitava the position of power in the direct family line began to deteriorate, the peak of power was now for Lichtenburg family. The minimum of the court career comes after their left the...