Academic Centre for the Middle Ages and Early Modern Period

Public evening lecture by Stefan Heinz: ‘What is a Bishop of Worms doing in Mainz Cathedral? The late Renaissance monument to Georg von Schönenburg (d. 1595)’ (31 March 2025)

31 March 2025, 7.00 pm

Plenary Hall of the Academy of Sciences and Literature, Mainz

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Public evening lecture on the funeral ceremonies of the Archbishops of Mainz by Jan Turinksi (6 May 2024)

6 May 2024, 7.00 pm

Plenary Hall of the Academy of Sciences and Literature, Mainz

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Springschool ‘Between Reception and Remake – The Middle Ages in the 19th Century’ (19–23 February 2024)

The Springschool “Between Reception and Remake – The Middle Ages in the 19th Century”, organised by the Mainz Academy Centre for the Middle Ages and Early Modern Period (AMZ), explores the 19th-century perspective on the medieval era in all its various facets. The decline of the empire and the collapse of the old order plunged society into a profound identity crisis and ultimately led, on a broad scale, to a return to an idealised age of past national greatness. A seemingly inexhaustible reservoir of material evidence from the Middle Ages was unearthed, which, as a rediscovered heritage, permeated many areas of cultural life. At the same time, the 19th century developed a modern historical consciousness and laid the foundations for the scholarly exploration of an era that had hitherto been little researched.

These include, for example, the start of the systematic cataloguing of medieval legal sources, as well as the ‘discovery’ of Middle High German literature. In the field of the visual arts, the appreciation of medieval works remained a defining feature throughout the 19th century. Countless ‘antiquities’ were rediscovered at that time and harnessed to serve an idealised image of the Middle Ages. The engagement with historical models also played a significant role here, leading to accusations of uncreative eclecticism against the artists of that era. The restoration of damaged artworks in the spirit of historicism blurred the boundaries between original and new creation, thereby ultimately raising questions of authenticity.

The Springschool will take place from 19 February 2024 to 23 February 2024 in Freiburg. Its aim is to raise participants’ awareness of the image of the Middle Ages in the 19th century. To this end, participants will be introduced to current research discourses on the reception of the Middle Ages and medievalism, whilst also being equipped to distinguish for themselves, using specific objects (manuscripts, inscriptions, stained glass, architectural structures), what is genuinely medieval and what is ‘merely’ a modern remake.The individual thematic modules will be delivered by recognised experts from the participating academy projects (Regesta Imperii, Die deutschen Inschriften, Corpus Vitrearum Medii Aevi, Handschriftencensus), the University of Freiburg, as well as the Münsterbauhütte, the Münsterfabrikfonds and the Augustinermuseum.

At the Springschool, the thematic units begin with a presentation of the methodologies used in the participating projects, which are then practised by the participants using concrete examples. The programme also includes excursions to historical sites in Freiburg and to the Hohkönigsburg in Alsace, to enable direct engagement with the objects and on-site discussion.

Target audience

The event is aimed at Master’s students and PhD candidates in the historical disciplines of cultural studies (history, linguistics and literary studies, art history, law, theology, philosophy, etc.) with a focus on the Middle Ages and/or the early modern period and an interest in interdisciplinary work. A total of 15 places are available. There is no participation fee. Accommodation costs will be covered; travel grants of 50 per cent of actual expenses (up to a maximum of €100) may be awarded on a limited basis upon special application.

Applications

Please send a 1–2-page letter of motivation and your CV in a single PDF file by 15 October 2023 to: info(at)cvma-freiburg.de.

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AMZ Day 2023

26 September 2023, 1 pm
Plenary Hall of the Academy

Programme

• Project presentations
  • Handschriftencensus (HSC) – Centre of Excellence for German-Language Medieval Manuscripts
  • The School of Salamanca. A digital collection of sources and a dictionary of its legal and political language
• Working groups
  • Organisation and objectives
  • Scientific communication (website, logo)
• Visit to the Leibniz Centre for Archaeology