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IMC 2010: Sessions

Session 1004: Perceiving and Describing Otherness: Travel Reports from Southern Germany and Austria as Sources for Cultural History

Wednesday 14 July 2010, 09.00-10.30

Sponsor:Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Mittelalterstudien, Universität Salzburg
Organiser:Christian Rohr, Fachbereich Geschichte, Universität Salzburg
Moderator/Chair:Siegrid Schmidt, Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Mittelalterstudien, Universität Salzburg
Paper 1004-aCultural Foreignness as a Matter of Perception: The Example of Paolo Santonino's Itinerarium (1485-1487)
(Language: English)
Helmut Hundsbichler, Institut für Realienkunde des Mittelalters & der frühen Neuzeit, Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Krems
Index terms: Anthropology, Daily Life, Language and Literature - Latin
Paper 1004-bTravelling to Rome in the Holy Year of 1500: Views on Renaissance Italy from a German-Speaking Perspective
(Language: English)
Christian Rohr, Fachbereich Geschichte, Universität Salzburg
Index terms: Anthropology, Daily Life, Language and Literature - German, Language and Literature - Latin
Paper 1004-cExperiencing the Other: Awareness and Perceptions of the Muslims in Hans Tucher's Account of his Journey to the Holy Land and to Egypt
(Language: English)
Carla Meyer, Institut für Fränkisch-Pfälzische Geschichte & Landeskunde, Ruprecht-Karls-Universität Heidelberg
Index terms: Anthropology, Daily Life, Language and Literature - German
Abstract

Travel literature is a unique source to examine questions of otherness. This potential will be examined based on three different examples:
Among the manifold categories of reports on medieval journeys Santonino's Itinerarium is a case sui generis. Despite its experience-centred directness its background idea is to document how an ecclesiastical territory was rehabilitated for the Christian church after it had been desecrated by 'heathens'. Within this ideological framework, the author is unparalleled and 'seriously' reporting innumerable precious aspects of a culture which was foreign to him. The paper discusses ways how to evaluate this evidence. Hans Tucher is besides Felix Fabri and Bernhard von Breydenbach one of the most famous pilgrims to Jerusalem and Egypt. In his travel report not only his religious interests are revealed but also his interest in merchant goods and production facilities. The holy year of 1500 has become one of the first mass travel events in history. It will be examined to what extent these travels have been also early examples for 'touristic' journeys besides the pilgrimage.