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IMC 2015: Sessions

Session 1315: Traces of Reform: The Evidence of Monastic Writings

Wednesday 8 July 2015, 16.30-18.00

Organisers:Daniela Bianca Hoffmann, Historisches Institut, Universität Mannheim
Meta Niederkorn-Bruck, Institut für Geschichte, Universität Wien
Moderator/Chair:Daniela Bianca Hoffmann, Historisches Institut, Universität Mannheim
Paper 1315-a'Aptus ad lucrandas animas': Education for Life in a Monastery
(Language: English)
Meta Niederkorn-Bruck, Institut für Geschichte, Universität Wien
Index terms: Monasticism, Religious Life
Paper 1315-bReading and Reading Again
(Language: English)
Andrea Spinka, Institut für Geschichte, Universität Wien
Index terms: Manuscripts and Palaeography, Monasticism, Religious Life
Paper 1315-cThe New as the Old: Mediation of Reform by the Teutonic Order Referring to the Incorporation of the Order of the Brothers of the Sword
(Language: English)
Serge Schmid, Ältere Deutsche Philologie, Universität Trier
Index terms: Historiography - Medieval, Monasticism, Religious Life
Abstract

This session is about reforms which became manifest in monastic writings. Reforms had to be legitimated and institutionalized, which influenced the writing and reading of texts in monasteries.

Paper -a:
Novices have to be trained for the life in a monastery; a role model and an introduction into monastic life can only be offered by someone who is 'aptus ad lucrandas animas' (who has the charisma to lead souls). During the Benedictine reform movements of the 15th century several commentaries on the Rule of St Benedict were written. The commentaries of Johannes Keck (Tegernsee) and Johannes Schlitpacher (Melk) show how different such texts could be, although both authors were formed by their studies at the university of Vienna.

Paper -b:
Monks need texts; traces of reading in manuscripts and printed books show which texts were demanded by the superiors in monasteries, and also which texts were used in one and the same manuscript or print for centuries. Traces of reading reveal the history of reading and the approach to life in monasteries.

Paper-c:
After a disastrous defeat the Order of the Brothers of the Sword was incorporated into the Teutonic Order. In the middle of the 14th century three manuscripts were compiled which tried to describe this act historiographically: the Chronica terre Prussie by Peter of Dusburg, a fictitious report by Hartmann of Heldrungen and the translation of the Chronica, the Kronike von Pruzinlant, by Nikolaus of Jeroschin. The incorporation needed an explanation, which this literature tried to offer.