IMC 2019: Sessions

East Central Europe (ECE), traditionally described as a bridge between East and West, was built on the legacy of powers rising in the 9th and 10th centuries in these territories as well as on the politics of the Ottonians who, for the first time, devised a plan to incorporate ECE into Western Christianity. The new dynasties of the Piasts, Árpáds, and Přemyslids became legitimate and equal members within that Latin world. In order to legitimise and perpetuate power for themselves and for their heirs, the rulers of the new realms developed religious and dynastic ceremonies and rituals, specific forms of communication as well as dependence and administration between them and their subjects, which formed as a whole the distinct character of ECE. The participants of the round table will attempt to answer some intriguing questions, such as: was the rulership in ECE substantially different from Western Europe? Are there any specific features of the representation of rulership in Bohemia, Poland, and Hungary? What were the most salient features of the ritual practice of power, legitimisation of rule, and ruling strategies in the region?

Participants include Robert Antonín (University of Ostrava), Zbigniew Dalewski (Polish Academy of Sciences, Warszawa), Wolfram Drews (Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster), Felicitas Schmieder (FernUniversität Hagen), and Björn Weiler (Aberystwyth University).