IMC 2023: Sessions

In September 1332 in the town of Świdnica, an important commercial and communication centre of Silesia, a group of 16 women stood before the Dominican inquisitor, John of Schwenkenfled, to testify about the local community of Beguines who called themselves the Hooded Sisters or the Daughters of Odelindis. Thus began one of the most intriguing interrogations on the heresy of the Free Spirit. Fortunately, we have access to the records of these interrogations, which shed light on the views, organisation, religiosity, and daily life of these Beguines. Over the last 100 years, the Świdnica trial has received many interpretations and undoubtedly the next generations of researchers will also try to better understand its main characters. Who were the interrogated Beguines? Were they illiterate, pious women or self-trained theologians keenly interested in debates around the doctrine of such intellectuals as Master Eckhart, John Duns Scotus, and Thomas Aquinas? How was the interrogation conducted by the Dominican Friar John Schwenkenfeld? The session is intended to answer these questions and present the recent research on the intriguing network of Beguines who called themselves the Hooded Nuns and claimed to belong to the network the Daughters of Odelindis.