Fabian Persson

Here are the full details for the "Hungry for Data" workshop, including "Travel and accommodation costs of accepted speakers will be reimbursed according to COST rules. Early career researchers may also apply for Short-Term Scientific Missions". cost-senses.eu/activities/wor…

apply. Submit an abstract (max 300 words) and short CV (max 1 page) by 10 April 2026 to: email@stephan-hoppe.de and fabian.persson@lnu.se

particularly welcomes contributions from researchers in history, art and architectural history, heritage studies, heritage science, digital humanities, computer science, geospatial and sensor data analysis, simulation, and AI. Early Career Researchers are warmly encouraged to

Hungry for Data: Studying court dining and using sensory data (1300–1800). Interested in how data, the senses, and court dining can be studied together? The workshop “Hungry for Data: Studying court dining and using sensory data (1300–1800)” invites contributions for a hands-on

To make Easter even more special you can dive into a new book published open access by Brill: Courts and Politics in an Age of Turmoil. I. especially recommend chapter 6, penned by yours truly: "Personal Power in Personal Rule: Female Courtiers in Sweden brill.com/edcollbook-oa/…

Why not spread happiness all around on Valentine by highlighting that our hero (ie yours truly) has been talking about monarchy and money on the aptly named podcast Monarchy and Money run by Charlotte Backerra and Cathleen Sarti. It was real fun! buzzsprout.com/1934722/episod…

What is the Tomb of the last Ottoman Caliph doing near Ellora in Maharashtra? The last Caliph, Abdülmecid, was a scholar and painter: an intellectual figure in a fez, kaftan and pince-nez, deeply absorbed in the books of his library. Here he spent most of his middle age, composing classical music, reading the complete works of Victor Hugo and the latest numbers of Revue des Deux Mondes, while cultivating his gardens and painting portraits of his family members. He had been in office barely four months when the Caliphate was abolished on March 3, 1924 in a vote taken in Ankara, Ataturk’s new capital. Dolmabahçe was surrounded by troops. Abdülmecid was reading the Koran-- or by some accounts the essays of Montaigne-- late at night when the prefect of police came to tell him that he had to leave at dawn. The Caliph took his family and just two servants into exile in Europe aboard the Orient Express. They settled in Nice. Here a few years later he was spotted by the correspondent of Time magazine: “He may be seen strolling with a mien of great dignity along the beach near Nice,” wrote the reporter, “attired in swimming trunks only, carrying a large parasol.”

Building databases takes an enormous amount of time & effort (I have a number of those with about 10 000 in my laptop). My friend and colleague Mark Hengerer has created a great database for the early modern imperial court in Vienna. Highly recommended! kaiserhof.geschichte.lmu.de

OTD 1916, died Emperor Franz Joseph. He had been on the throne since 1848, so it was hard for most to remember a time before him. His long reign was not just Strauss waltzes but military defeats and family tragedies. It had been a long time since he was the teenager on the throne

Brilliant! Wish I could have been there.

A sparkling Plantagenet crown & sparkling lecture to look forward to at the Royal Anthropological Institute (50 Fitzroy St, London W1T 5BT) Email societyforcourtstudies@gmail.com to attend in person. Please note the in-person event has a limited capacity so pre-booking essential

The Royal Armoury (in the palace of Stockholm) has an interesting new exhibition called "Hatt Couture" about royal hats. Time to have a look and ponder which hat is most you? livrustkammaren.se/en/exhibitions…

This looks opulent and amazing, though the Edwardians are sadly running out of time... rct.uk/collection/exh…

These days, is university life coloured by teaching, lecturing, and grant hunting rather than demon-wrestling?

What is a successful monarch? OTD in 1272, died Henry III of England. He stayed on the throne for 56 years - so that is a success. At the same time failed military ventures & large rebellions. He did make it into Dante's purgatory, though - and he got an elephant from France!

What are you wearing out this evening?

A hybrid SCS event! Charles Farris “Of Wonderful Beauty: An Inventory of the Jewels of Margaret of France in 1302”. On 9 Dec. 18:00 GMT. If you would like to attend in-person at the Royal Anthropological Institute, email societyforcourtstudies@gmail.com. Pre-booking essential

OTD in 1908 ended a remarkable life. Empress Dowager Cixi of China died. For almost half a century she ruled through various emperors. Just the day before her death she had the then puppet emperor, her nephew the Guangxu Emperor, poisoned. She left her mark on her vast empire.

This winter, the Swedish Nationalmuseum puts on an exhibition of portraits. It includes special talks and fantastic objects such as Alexander Roslin's The Lady with the veil. This is show-casing the marvellous collection in Statens porträttsamling. nationalmuseum.se/en/exhibitions…