Silesian-Spanish encounters at the beginning of the 17th century

Abstract

There are close affinities between the thought of Silesian Mannerist poet Balthasar Exner and renown Spanish poet Luis de Góngora of Córdoba. They both manifest an pan-European crisis of spirit on the threshold of modernity. It does make sense to refer certain mental tropes in Exner’s poetry to Spanish culture, since many Silesian intellectuals and poets were residents at the court of Rudolf II in Prague where they met Spanish artists. The atmosphere and spiritual climate of the “Spanish” Prague under Rudolf II reveals a world of great volatile and eccentric personalities. The presence of Silesians was also noticeable at the Prague court. Among the intellectuals who were then active in Silesia and somehow influenced by the intellectual atmosphere of Mannerist and imperial Prague was Hieronymus Arconatus from Lwówek Śląski (Germ. Loewenberg) to whom this article is mainly devoted.