IMC 2026: Sessions
Session 1602: Birgitta of Sweden and Her Legacy, II: Spiritual and Political Cultures
Thursday 9 July 2026, 11:15-12:45
| Organisers: | Iliana Kandzha, Arnamagnæan Institute / Institut for Nordiske Studier og Sprogvidenskab, Københavns Universitet Barbara Müller, Institut für Christentumsgeschichte und Historische Theologie, Universität Hamburg |
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| Moderator/Chair: | Barbara Müller, Institut für Christentumsgeschichte und Historische Theologie, Universität Hamburg |
| Paper 1602-a | The Cult of St Birgitta in the 15th-Century Kraków Royal Court (Language: English) Index terms: Art History - Painting, Hagiography, Politics and Diplomacy |
| Paper 1602-b | Birgitta of Sweden in Northern Germany: With Special Focus on the Late Medieval Devotional Books from the Hamburg Beguine Convent (Language: English) Index terms: Hagiography, Language and Literature - German, Religious Life, Theology |
| Abstract | The two sessions on "Birgitta of Sweden and her Legacy" (I: Perspectives on the Nativity Vision. II: Spiritual and Political Cultures) combine interdisciplinary approaches to studying Birgitta of Sweden, namely from the standpoints of historical studies, theology, and art history. By exploring Birgitta’s multifaceted identity as a visionary, mother, political actor, foundress of the order, and saint, the sessions aim to highlight the subtle overlaps between them—or the lack of such—in the way her spiritual and political heritages played out in the centuries after her death. The first session in the series scrutinizes the role of Birgitta’s Nativity Vision in the Marian doctrine, the iconography of this scene, and its influences on Birgitta’s canonization process. The second session looks into the spiritual and political implications of Birgittine visions and her canonization, especially for the Northern European region. |