IMC 2011: Sessions

Session 523: Transgressing Boundaries: Social Climbers in the Middle Ages

Tuesday 12 July 2011, 09.00-10.30

Organiser:	Ulla Kypta, Historisches Seminar, Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main
Moderator/Chair:	Jens Schneider, Laboratoire 'Analyse Comparée des Pouvoirs', Université Paris-Est Marne-la-Vallée
Paper 523-a	Social Climbers in the Early Middle Ages: The Rise and Downfall of Ebbo of Reims (Language: English) Cornelia Scherer, Lehrstuhl für Mittelalterliche Geschichte und Historische Hilfswissenschaften, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität, Erlangen-Nürnberg Index terms: Ecclesiastical History, Education, Religious Life, Social History
Paper 523-b	Knowledge and Wealth: Social Climbing in 12th-Century England (Language: English) Ulla Kypta, Historisches Seminar, Johann-Wolfgang-Goethe-Universität, Frankfurt am Main Index terms: Administration, Education, Literacy and Orality, Social History
Paper 523-c	Social Climbing and Consumption: Purchasing Power During the Late Middle Ages (Language: English) Angela Huang, Saxo Institute, Department of History, Københavns Universitet Index terms: Economics - Rural, Economics - Trade, Economics - Urban, Social History
Abstract	Social climbing is usually connected to an improvement of living conditions and thus with getting richer. This session deals with the permeability of the physical and symbolic boundaries between the rich and the poor by looking at different types of social climbers. Three case studies from different centuries, ranks and regions will be presented: the Frankish clergy in the early Middle Ages, the English royal officials in the 12th century, and the late medieval towns of the Baltic region will serve as examples to form a definition of social climbing.