Albrecht Classen | University of Arizona (original) (raw)

Papers by Albrecht Classen

Research paper thumbnail of Miracle Healing, Miracle Visions, and Miracle Narratives in the Premodern and Modern World

Dialogo, 2024

As much as we live today in a world that is seemingly mostly determined by rationality and techno... more As much as we live today in a world that is seemingly mostly determined by rationality and technology, we are actually far away from such a status, fortunately so, at least depending on one’s perspective. Hidden behind
much scientific research and a mechanistic world determined by machines, for instance, we can easily discover countless examples of superstition, faith, irrationality, wishful thinking, dreams, speculation, and imagination. This is fortunately so, indeed, because it respects the indigenous human nature irrespective of many faults and problems
resulting from it. Contrary to Max Weber’s famous formulation, the modern experience of the disenchantment of this world was actually accompanied by a profound rediscovery of or return to magic, spirituality, and fantasy,
whether we think of the Romantics, the high popularity of the genre of fairy tales, the ever-growing body of video games and related media today all predicated on science fiction and hence fantasy, or the world of movies.
This paper, however, does not intend to develop a large concept about the history of science, the emergence of modernity and individuality, and the steady rise of rationality at the latest since the eighteenth century, all
of which have been discussed already at length by historians, anthropologists, philosophers, literary scholars, art historians, and sociologists. Instead, the focus will rest on the belief in miracles and miracle healings and trace the vast discourse on charms and miracles from the early Middle Ages to the modern times as a constant, consistent,
and impactful aspect of all human culture we cannot and should not deny if we want to subscribe to a realistic assessment of human culture and mentality. The argument focuses on the curious phenomenon that the belief in miracles continues to run strongly until today both among religious individuals and ordinary individuals who face, for instance, a desperate health situation, a personal crisis, or dangers of all kinds. Popular culture appears to be highly influenced by the belief in miracles, in divine agents who come to people’s rescue in critical moments, and
hence the belief in the power of prayer. Each individual aspect would require an extensive scholarly discussion, which this paper cannot offer. Instead, I will trace primarily the discourse on charms and miracles from the early Middle Ages to the present, whereby we can determine the continuity of pre-modern ideas, values, and concepts as valuable aspects for all people throughout time. To make good sense, the concept of the charm as a verbal statement for a magical and religious transformation is widened to include all word magic in medicine, athletics, politics, friendship, and family relationships whenever there is a perceived need to draw from other powers for the well-being of a human being.

Research paper thumbnail of Classen.Sebald.Weglein

European Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

The highly reputed novel or literary documentary Austerlitz (2001) by Winfried. G. Sebald has att... more The highly reputed novel or literary documentary Austerlitz (2001) by Winfried. G. Sebald has attracted much critical respect and high praise. Sebald worked intensively with various sources reflecting on the Holocaust, and one of those, H. G. Adler’s Theresienstadt 1941–1945 (first published in 1955), formed the backbone of Austerlitz. One of the surviving prisoners in Theresienstadt, Resi Weglein, who had been a nurse from Ulm, managed to return home after the war in 1945 together with her husband, Siego Weglein, and she sat down soon after to compose her memoirs. Those were finally published in 1988, accompanied by a detailed historical analysis of the history of antisemitism in Ulm and the environs since the early nineteenth century by the local historians Silvester Lechner and Alfred Moos. Those two scholars relied, in turn, heavily on Adler’s detailed study, but Sebald scholars have not yet known of these intriguing connections. Since these memoirs are soon going to be published for the first time in an English translation, it seems to be most pertinent to bring both texts into conversation with each other and thus to add further to our understanding of this famous novel in light of Resi’s writing.

Research paper thumbnail of The Arabic World in Medieval German Literature – Some Provocative Sketches

Mediaevistik, 2024

This study takes into view what medieval German poets from Wolfram von Eschenbach to the anonymou... more This study takes into view what medieval German poets from Wolfram von Eschenbach to the anonymous composer (perhaps: Stephan Fridolin) of Fortunatus, that is, from the early thirteenth to the early sixteenth century, had to say about personal contacts with and exchanges between their Christian protagonists and Muslim counterparts (Arabs and/or Persians). Although the public discourse dominated by the Church (Crusades) painted starkly hostile images of the Muslim world, for secular authors there were fairly few reasons, if any at all, to assume or to advocate strong differences between both sides, or to project the Muslim contemporaries as hostile and/or dangerous. This study will show that particularly medieval German authors suggested throughout time that the relationship between Christian knights and others and Arab/Muslim lords could be constructive or even based on friendship.

Research paper thumbnail of Social, Political, Economic and Military Transformations Reflected in Sixteenth-Century Literature: The Case of Georg Wickram's Rollwagenbüchlein (1555

Sun Text Review of Arts & Social Sciences , 2024

In the sixteenth century, the early modern world emerged, and this for many different reasons. In... more In the sixteenth century, the early modern world emerged, and this for many different reasons. In order to understand this phenomenon, scholars have resorted to a wide range of sources, both narrativess and visuls. But the literary works from that time still remain somewhat hidden their view, and yet they deserve to be studied more closely in that context because they often reveal much about the concrete life conditions on the ground and ordinary people's existence at many different social and economic levels. This paper examines the great relevance of (German) jest narratives as literary and historical sources, focusing on one of the most popular and influential works, Georg Wickram's Rollwagenbüchlein (1555), where we are exposed to a wide range of entertaining, ironic, satirical, at times even sarcastic and cynical narrative accounts about many different kinds of people, both high and low, and learn much about various professions.

Research paper thumbnail of STORY COLLECTIONS, FRAME NARRATIVES, AND SCHWÄNKE: FROM THE LATE MIDDLE AGES TO THE EARLY MODERN AGE

Kairoer Germanistische Studien , 2023

Surprisingly, however, the genre of frame stories or jest narrative collection was strongly devel... more Surprisingly, however, the genre of frame stories or jest narrative collection was strongly developed also by numerous German and Italian poets (Johannes Pauli, Georg Wickram, Gian Francesco Straparola), but their works have been mostly overlooked in that context. As important as Boccaccio's contribution was for future literary history, this paper argues that we must not neglect the works by major sixteenth-century writers who developed their own entertaining and didactic literature and relied heavily on the concept of the frame story, often inspired by Boccaccio. This approach also opens new perspectives toward vernacular narratives composed neither in a humanist vein nor under the influence of the Protestant Reformation. In particular, those vast and highly popular story collections belong to a period that tends to be overlooked both by medievalists and Baroque specialists because they occupy a sort of 'third space,' entertaining and instructing at the same time.

Research paper thumbnail of The Rise and Fall of Dynasties as Reflected in Late Medieval German Literature: Melusine, Fortunatus, and Huge Scheppel

NEW LITERARIAAn International Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities, 2024

In the late Middle Ages, aristocratic and urban circles competed against each other for esteem, l... more In the late Middle Ages, aristocratic and urban circles competed against each other for esteem, legitimacy, authority, and fame. Family chronicles gained significant importance in that process, but we can also identify a definite discourse on dynastic interests in historiographical terms in contemporary literature. This study illuminates in three cases how individual authors conceived of the notion of dynasty and traced the rise and/or fall of their protagonists. Even in the case of an utter demise, the topic itself, the emergence and development of a dynasty, appealed to the wider readership, as reflected in some of the major late medieval German prose narratives and novels. The concept of a mythical origin of the family was particularly attractive, but also the miraculous rise from a low social status to the rank of a king, unheard of in reality, of course.

Research paper thumbnail of Friendship in Medieval and Early Modern Literature and Thought

Moral Psychology in History: From the Ancient to Early Modern Period, 2024

This study examines the discourse of friendship from antiquity (Cicero and Boethius) to the medie... more This study examines the discourse of friendship from antiquity (Cicero and Boethius) to the medieval fable tradition (Marie de France, Ulrich Bonerius), romance literature (Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival), and the heroic tradition (Nibelungenlied).

Research paper thumbnail of The New Synthese Historical Library Texts and Studies in the History of Philosophy Volume 79

The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this p... more The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.

Research paper thumbnail of Absurdity in Medieval Literature? Der Stricker’s Pfaffe Amîs as a Transgressive Literary Enterprise Long before Modernity

Humanities, May 24, 2024

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

Research paper thumbnail of Dulcea of Worms

Research paper thumbnail of Barocklyrik als Inspirationsquelle – Andreas Gryphius’ Sonnette als Lebensphilosophie

Acta Universitatis Wratislaviensis. Germanica Wratislaviensia, Apr 17, 2024

Obgleich der Barockdichter Andreas Gryphius bereits vielmals kritisch unter die Lupe genommen wor... more Obgleich der Barockdichter Andreas Gryphius bereits vielmals kritisch unter die Lupe genommen worden ist, bestehen weiterhin recht viele Desiderata bei der Erkundung insbesondere seiner Lyrik. Einige seiner Sonette, die auch hier zur Sprache kommen, haben praktisch kanonischen Rang erworben, aber die Masse seiner Gedichte ist doch bisher nur sehr kümmerlich untersucht worden. Welchen Stellenwert sie für den modernen Rezipienten haben mögen, ist bis heute eine ganz offene Frage. Dieser literarhistorischen Herausforderung kann man sich am besten so nähern, indem man zunächst überhaupt eine interpretative Sonde an sein umfangreiches Werk heranführt. Durch die sorgfältige Analyse einer Auswahl seiner Sonette wird hier eine Reihe von bemerkenswerten Aussagen universaler Art identifiziert, die es uns erlauben, Gryphius' Texte nicht nur in ihrer literarischen, sondern auch religiösen, philosophischen und ethischen Dimension genauer in den Griff zu bekommen. Auf dieser Grundlage ist es möglich, spezifisch die Überlegung in den Vordergrund zu rücken, warum und wie man sich heute mit Gryphius allgemein oder im deutschen Literaturunterricht auseinandersetzen kann.

Research paper thumbnail of Kottannerin, Helene, Memoirs

Research paper thumbnail of Elisabeth von Nassau-Saarbrücken

Research paper thumbnail of Frau Ava

Research paper thumbnail of The Survival of Medieval Manuscript Culture in the Early Modern Age: The Other Side of a Universal Paradigm Shift

Publishing research quarterly, Feb 23, 2024

Research paper thumbnail of Bestiality in the West: Geraldus of Wales’s Fantasies about the Irish Borderlands: A Medieval Colonialist’s Worldview

Global journal of cultural studies, Feb 9, 2024

Medieval legal, theological, and scientific discourse was highly interested in the monstrous elem... more Medieval legal, theological, and scientific discourse was highly interested in the monstrous element both out of simple curiosity and because it represented 'the other' in epistemological terms. Monsters, however, were normally farremoved, and did not create real fear because they were the products of human fantasy. Bestiality, on the other hand, constituted a direct threat to the well-being of human society, breaching the boundary between humans and animals in a dangerous fashion. This article examines the discourse on bestiality in Geraldus of Wales's Topographia Hibernica (1187) through which he succeeded to erect a cultural barrier between the Irish on the one hand and the British on the other and to project them as uncivilized, backwards, and as a people that would need to be colonized. Geraldus thus emerges as a stalwart 'imperialist' avant la letter. A critical reading of his treatise allows us to apply this 'anachronistic' term to this influential medieval writer, which in turn makes it possible to extent our modern anti-colonialist discourse to the high Middle Ages, and perhaps also vice-versa.

Research paper thumbnail of Philip Ajouri, Julia Bangert, Gerhard Lauer and Nikolaus Weichselbaumer, eds. 2023. Gutenberg-Jahrbuch 2023. Vol. 98. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz. 253 pp. €98.00. Hardback. ISBN 978-3-44-712016-6

Publishing Research Quarterly, Nov 1, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of Der Unterhaltungswert von spätmittelalterlichen Maeren und ihre didaktische Relevanz im 21. Jahrhundert

Estudios Franco-Alemanes Revista internacional de Traducción y Filología, Oct 4, 2023

Zusammenfassung: Die heutige Mediävistik sieht sich vor der schwierigen Aufgabe, den eigenen Stan... more Zusammenfassung: Die heutige Mediävistik sieht sich vor der schwierigen Aufgabe, den eigenen Stand im akademischen Kontext zu behaupten, vor allem weil Einschreibezahlen und Interesse an mittelalterlicher Literatur zurückgehen. Solange aber Literaturgeschichte überhaupt als relevant angesehen wird, gibt es keinen Grund zu fürchten, an Legitimation zu verlieren. Unsere Aufgabe besteht daher darin, pädagogisch innovativ vorzugehen und epistemologische Brücken zu bauen, was mittels mittelhochdeutscher Versmaeren relativ mühelos gelingen dürfte. Anhand von einer Auswahl von aussagekräftigen Beispielen wird hier vor Augen geführt, welchen zeitlosen Wert diese Texte besitzen und wie sie pragmatisch im Seminar für intensive Diskussionen über fundamentale Fragen des menschlichen Lebens eingesetzt werden können.

Research paper thumbnail of The Ambraser Heldenbuch – A Major Compilation of Middle High German Narrative Poetry for Posterity Habsburg, German, or Austrian?

Athens Journal of Humanities & Arts, Oct 1, 2023

The same would apply to all other regions of the former Holy Roman Empire of German Nations, whic... more The same would apply to all other regions of the former Holy Roman Empire of German Nations, which thus would quickly undermine our efforts to establish meaningful categories. Politically, of course, there is a border today, and there are also cultural differences in terms of local cuisine, music, clothing, and maybe also mentality. 3 Austrian politics are different from those in Germany or Switzerland, and we can probably assume that Austrians, in general terms, espouse a unique identity, however explained. Overall, however, the entire effort to distinguish in national terms what we mean as German literature has always been problematic. As the contributors to Negotiating Linguistic Identity comment, this phenomenon is not unique to the German-speaking world, but rather characteristic of Europe, particularly today. 4 What is Austrian Literature? Conceptional and Ideological Debates This paper does not intend to raise global questions regarding national identity, language, or history, as important as they certainly are within the modern context. 5 After all, political and emotional aspects easily influence each other and mean fairly little in the larger framework, if we might not even have to assume that the notion of an Austrian identity is nothing but the result of constructions, as in the case of French, Spanish, Italian, or British identity. 6

Research paper thumbnail of Stephan Füssel, Editor: Gutenberg-Jahrbuch 95 (2020)

Publishing Research Quarterly, Oct 20, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of Miracle Healing, Miracle Visions, and Miracle Narratives in the Premodern and Modern World

Dialogo, 2024

As much as we live today in a world that is seemingly mostly determined by rationality and techno... more As much as we live today in a world that is seemingly mostly determined by rationality and technology, we are actually far away from such a status, fortunately so, at least depending on one’s perspective. Hidden behind
much scientific research and a mechanistic world determined by machines, for instance, we can easily discover countless examples of superstition, faith, irrationality, wishful thinking, dreams, speculation, and imagination. This is fortunately so, indeed, because it respects the indigenous human nature irrespective of many faults and problems
resulting from it. Contrary to Max Weber’s famous formulation, the modern experience of the disenchantment of this world was actually accompanied by a profound rediscovery of or return to magic, spirituality, and fantasy,
whether we think of the Romantics, the high popularity of the genre of fairy tales, the ever-growing body of video games and related media today all predicated on science fiction and hence fantasy, or the world of movies.
This paper, however, does not intend to develop a large concept about the history of science, the emergence of modernity and individuality, and the steady rise of rationality at the latest since the eighteenth century, all
of which have been discussed already at length by historians, anthropologists, philosophers, literary scholars, art historians, and sociologists. Instead, the focus will rest on the belief in miracles and miracle healings and trace the vast discourse on charms and miracles from the early Middle Ages to the modern times as a constant, consistent,
and impactful aspect of all human culture we cannot and should not deny if we want to subscribe to a realistic assessment of human culture and mentality. The argument focuses on the curious phenomenon that the belief in miracles continues to run strongly until today both among religious individuals and ordinary individuals who face, for instance, a desperate health situation, a personal crisis, or dangers of all kinds. Popular culture appears to be highly influenced by the belief in miracles, in divine agents who come to people’s rescue in critical moments, and
hence the belief in the power of prayer. Each individual aspect would require an extensive scholarly discussion, which this paper cannot offer. Instead, I will trace primarily the discourse on charms and miracles from the early Middle Ages to the present, whereby we can determine the continuity of pre-modern ideas, values, and concepts as valuable aspects for all people throughout time. To make good sense, the concept of the charm as a verbal statement for a magical and religious transformation is widened to include all word magic in medicine, athletics, politics, friendship, and family relationships whenever there is a perceived need to draw from other powers for the well-being of a human being.

Research paper thumbnail of Classen.Sebald.Weglein

European Journal of Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences

The highly reputed novel or literary documentary Austerlitz (2001) by Winfried. G. Sebald has att... more The highly reputed novel or literary documentary Austerlitz (2001) by Winfried. G. Sebald has attracted much critical respect and high praise. Sebald worked intensively with various sources reflecting on the Holocaust, and one of those, H. G. Adler’s Theresienstadt 1941–1945 (first published in 1955), formed the backbone of Austerlitz. One of the surviving prisoners in Theresienstadt, Resi Weglein, who had been a nurse from Ulm, managed to return home after the war in 1945 together with her husband, Siego Weglein, and she sat down soon after to compose her memoirs. Those were finally published in 1988, accompanied by a detailed historical analysis of the history of antisemitism in Ulm and the environs since the early nineteenth century by the local historians Silvester Lechner and Alfred Moos. Those two scholars relied, in turn, heavily on Adler’s detailed study, but Sebald scholars have not yet known of these intriguing connections. Since these memoirs are soon going to be published for the first time in an English translation, it seems to be most pertinent to bring both texts into conversation with each other and thus to add further to our understanding of this famous novel in light of Resi’s writing.

Research paper thumbnail of The Arabic World in Medieval German Literature – Some Provocative Sketches

Mediaevistik, 2024

This study takes into view what medieval German poets from Wolfram von Eschenbach to the anonymou... more This study takes into view what medieval German poets from Wolfram von Eschenbach to the anonymous composer (perhaps: Stephan Fridolin) of Fortunatus, that is, from the early thirteenth to the early sixteenth century, had to say about personal contacts with and exchanges between their Christian protagonists and Muslim counterparts (Arabs and/or Persians). Although the public discourse dominated by the Church (Crusades) painted starkly hostile images of the Muslim world, for secular authors there were fairly few reasons, if any at all, to assume or to advocate strong differences between both sides, or to project the Muslim contemporaries as hostile and/or dangerous. This study will show that particularly medieval German authors suggested throughout time that the relationship between Christian knights and others and Arab/Muslim lords could be constructive or even based on friendship.

Research paper thumbnail of Social, Political, Economic and Military Transformations Reflected in Sixteenth-Century Literature: The Case of Georg Wickram's Rollwagenbüchlein (1555

Sun Text Review of Arts & Social Sciences , 2024

In the sixteenth century, the early modern world emerged, and this for many different reasons. In... more In the sixteenth century, the early modern world emerged, and this for many different reasons. In order to understand this phenomenon, scholars have resorted to a wide range of sources, both narrativess and visuls. But the literary works from that time still remain somewhat hidden their view, and yet they deserve to be studied more closely in that context because they often reveal much about the concrete life conditions on the ground and ordinary people's existence at many different social and economic levels. This paper examines the great relevance of (German) jest narratives as literary and historical sources, focusing on one of the most popular and influential works, Georg Wickram's Rollwagenbüchlein (1555), where we are exposed to a wide range of entertaining, ironic, satirical, at times even sarcastic and cynical narrative accounts about many different kinds of people, both high and low, and learn much about various professions.

Research paper thumbnail of STORY COLLECTIONS, FRAME NARRATIVES, AND SCHWÄNKE: FROM THE LATE MIDDLE AGES TO THE EARLY MODERN AGE

Kairoer Germanistische Studien , 2023

Surprisingly, however, the genre of frame stories or jest narrative collection was strongly devel... more Surprisingly, however, the genre of frame stories or jest narrative collection was strongly developed also by numerous German and Italian poets (Johannes Pauli, Georg Wickram, Gian Francesco Straparola), but their works have been mostly overlooked in that context. As important as Boccaccio's contribution was for future literary history, this paper argues that we must not neglect the works by major sixteenth-century writers who developed their own entertaining and didactic literature and relied heavily on the concept of the frame story, often inspired by Boccaccio. This approach also opens new perspectives toward vernacular narratives composed neither in a humanist vein nor under the influence of the Protestant Reformation. In particular, those vast and highly popular story collections belong to a period that tends to be overlooked both by medievalists and Baroque specialists because they occupy a sort of 'third space,' entertaining and instructing at the same time.

Research paper thumbnail of The Rise and Fall of Dynasties as Reflected in Late Medieval German Literature: Melusine, Fortunatus, and Huge Scheppel

NEW LITERARIAAn International Journal of Interdisciplinary Studies in Humanities, 2024

In the late Middle Ages, aristocratic and urban circles competed against each other for esteem, l... more In the late Middle Ages, aristocratic and urban circles competed against each other for esteem, legitimacy, authority, and fame. Family chronicles gained significant importance in that process, but we can also identify a definite discourse on dynastic interests in historiographical terms in contemporary literature. This study illuminates in three cases how individual authors conceived of the notion of dynasty and traced the rise and/or fall of their protagonists. Even in the case of an utter demise, the topic itself, the emergence and development of a dynasty, appealed to the wider readership, as reflected in some of the major late medieval German prose narratives and novels. The concept of a mythical origin of the family was particularly attractive, but also the miraculous rise from a low social status to the rank of a king, unheard of in reality, of course.

Research paper thumbnail of Friendship in Medieval and Early Modern Literature and Thought

Moral Psychology in History: From the Ancient to Early Modern Period, 2024

This study examines the discourse of friendship from antiquity (Cicero and Boethius) to the medie... more This study examines the discourse of friendship from antiquity (Cicero and Boethius) to the medieval fable tradition (Marie de France, Ulrich Bonerius), romance literature (Wolfram von Eschenbach's Parzival), and the heroic tradition (Nibelungenlied).

Research paper thumbnail of The New Synthese Historical Library Texts and Studies in the History of Philosophy Volume 79

The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this p... more The use of general descriptive names, registered names, trademarks, service marks, etc. in this publication does not imply, even in the absence of a specific statement, that such names are exempt from the relevant protective laws and regulations and therefore free for general use.

Research paper thumbnail of Absurdity in Medieval Literature? Der Stricker’s Pfaffe Amîs as a Transgressive Literary Enterprise Long before Modernity

Humanities, May 24, 2024

This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative... more This article is an open access article distributed under the terms and conditions of the Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY

Research paper thumbnail of Dulcea of Worms

Research paper thumbnail of Barocklyrik als Inspirationsquelle – Andreas Gryphius’ Sonnette als Lebensphilosophie

Acta Universitatis Wratislaviensis. Germanica Wratislaviensia, Apr 17, 2024

Obgleich der Barockdichter Andreas Gryphius bereits vielmals kritisch unter die Lupe genommen wor... more Obgleich der Barockdichter Andreas Gryphius bereits vielmals kritisch unter die Lupe genommen worden ist, bestehen weiterhin recht viele Desiderata bei der Erkundung insbesondere seiner Lyrik. Einige seiner Sonette, die auch hier zur Sprache kommen, haben praktisch kanonischen Rang erworben, aber die Masse seiner Gedichte ist doch bisher nur sehr kümmerlich untersucht worden. Welchen Stellenwert sie für den modernen Rezipienten haben mögen, ist bis heute eine ganz offene Frage. Dieser literarhistorischen Herausforderung kann man sich am besten so nähern, indem man zunächst überhaupt eine interpretative Sonde an sein umfangreiches Werk heranführt. Durch die sorgfältige Analyse einer Auswahl seiner Sonette wird hier eine Reihe von bemerkenswerten Aussagen universaler Art identifiziert, die es uns erlauben, Gryphius' Texte nicht nur in ihrer literarischen, sondern auch religiösen, philosophischen und ethischen Dimension genauer in den Griff zu bekommen. Auf dieser Grundlage ist es möglich, spezifisch die Überlegung in den Vordergrund zu rücken, warum und wie man sich heute mit Gryphius allgemein oder im deutschen Literaturunterricht auseinandersetzen kann.

Research paper thumbnail of Kottannerin, Helene, Memoirs

Research paper thumbnail of Elisabeth von Nassau-Saarbrücken

Research paper thumbnail of Frau Ava

Research paper thumbnail of The Survival of Medieval Manuscript Culture in the Early Modern Age: The Other Side of a Universal Paradigm Shift

Publishing research quarterly, Feb 23, 2024

Research paper thumbnail of Bestiality in the West: Geraldus of Wales’s Fantasies about the Irish Borderlands: A Medieval Colonialist’s Worldview

Global journal of cultural studies, Feb 9, 2024

Medieval legal, theological, and scientific discourse was highly interested in the monstrous elem... more Medieval legal, theological, and scientific discourse was highly interested in the monstrous element both out of simple curiosity and because it represented 'the other' in epistemological terms. Monsters, however, were normally farremoved, and did not create real fear because they were the products of human fantasy. Bestiality, on the other hand, constituted a direct threat to the well-being of human society, breaching the boundary between humans and animals in a dangerous fashion. This article examines the discourse on bestiality in Geraldus of Wales's Topographia Hibernica (1187) through which he succeeded to erect a cultural barrier between the Irish on the one hand and the British on the other and to project them as uncivilized, backwards, and as a people that would need to be colonized. Geraldus thus emerges as a stalwart 'imperialist' avant la letter. A critical reading of his treatise allows us to apply this 'anachronistic' term to this influential medieval writer, which in turn makes it possible to extent our modern anti-colonialist discourse to the high Middle Ages, and perhaps also vice-versa.

Research paper thumbnail of Philip Ajouri, Julia Bangert, Gerhard Lauer and Nikolaus Weichselbaumer, eds. 2023. Gutenberg-Jahrbuch 2023. Vol. 98. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz. 253 pp. €98.00. Hardback. ISBN 978-3-44-712016-6

Publishing Research Quarterly, Nov 1, 2023

Research paper thumbnail of Der Unterhaltungswert von spätmittelalterlichen Maeren und ihre didaktische Relevanz im 21. Jahrhundert

Estudios Franco-Alemanes Revista internacional de Traducción y Filología, Oct 4, 2023

Zusammenfassung: Die heutige Mediävistik sieht sich vor der schwierigen Aufgabe, den eigenen Stan... more Zusammenfassung: Die heutige Mediävistik sieht sich vor der schwierigen Aufgabe, den eigenen Stand im akademischen Kontext zu behaupten, vor allem weil Einschreibezahlen und Interesse an mittelalterlicher Literatur zurückgehen. Solange aber Literaturgeschichte überhaupt als relevant angesehen wird, gibt es keinen Grund zu fürchten, an Legitimation zu verlieren. Unsere Aufgabe besteht daher darin, pädagogisch innovativ vorzugehen und epistemologische Brücken zu bauen, was mittels mittelhochdeutscher Versmaeren relativ mühelos gelingen dürfte. Anhand von einer Auswahl von aussagekräftigen Beispielen wird hier vor Augen geführt, welchen zeitlosen Wert diese Texte besitzen und wie sie pragmatisch im Seminar für intensive Diskussionen über fundamentale Fragen des menschlichen Lebens eingesetzt werden können.

Research paper thumbnail of The Ambraser Heldenbuch – A Major Compilation of Middle High German Narrative Poetry for Posterity Habsburg, German, or Austrian?

Athens Journal of Humanities & Arts, Oct 1, 2023

The same would apply to all other regions of the former Holy Roman Empire of German Nations, whic... more The same would apply to all other regions of the former Holy Roman Empire of German Nations, which thus would quickly undermine our efforts to establish meaningful categories. Politically, of course, there is a border today, and there are also cultural differences in terms of local cuisine, music, clothing, and maybe also mentality. 3 Austrian politics are different from those in Germany or Switzerland, and we can probably assume that Austrians, in general terms, espouse a unique identity, however explained. Overall, however, the entire effort to distinguish in national terms what we mean as German literature has always been problematic. As the contributors to Negotiating Linguistic Identity comment, this phenomenon is not unique to the German-speaking world, but rather characteristic of Europe, particularly today. 4 What is Austrian Literature? Conceptional and Ideological Debates This paper does not intend to raise global questions regarding national identity, language, or history, as important as they certainly are within the modern context. 5 After all, political and emotional aspects easily influence each other and mean fairly little in the larger framework, if we might not even have to assume that the notion of an Austrian identity is nothing but the result of constructions, as in the case of French, Spanish, Italian, or British identity. 6

Research paper thumbnail of Stephan Füssel, Editor: Gutenberg-Jahrbuch 95 (2020)

Publishing Research Quarterly, Oct 20, 2020

Research paper thumbnail of The Epistemological Functions of Monsters in the Middle Ages

Monsters in the Middle Ages assumed significant epistemological functions, providing an image of ... more Monsters in the Middle Ages assumed significant epistemological functions, providing an image of the complete 'other' in the human quest for the self. Since late antiquity teratology played a big role in literature, art, philosophy, and religion, but meaning and relevance of monsters changed from author to author (the same applies to their visual representation). This article provides an overview of how the image of the monster changed throughout times and how individual writers evaluated them.