The Relationship of the Hungarian Queens to Their Dowry Towns in the Central Slovak Mining Area

The aim of the study is to make clear the relationship of the Hungarian queens to their dowry towns – dowry estates that originated as institutions by the end of the first half of the 15th century. At first, they were supposed to serve as a source of income for widowed queens; later, the endowment of a town became an after-wedding tradition. The study focuses on the royal estates in the central areas of present day Slovakia, especially the mining towns that were amongst the most profitable towns in the Kingdom of Hungary. It pays attention to their management and use by the Hungarian queens, as well as the protection, function and position of these towns in the military conflicts related to succession. The analysis deals in the greatest detail with the significance of these estates in funding the queens' expenses and the related mutual communication.