IMC 2026: Sessions
Session 1708: The Making, Using, and Keeping (or Not) of Documents in Late Medieval Central Europe, 1200-1500, III: Keeping Documents
Thursday 9 July 2026, 14:15-15:45
| Organisers: | Jagna Rita Sobel, Instytut Historyczny, Uniwersytet Wrocławski Tomasz Walczak, Instytut Historii im. Tadeusza Manteuffla, Polska Akademia Nauk, Warszawa |
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| Moderator/Chair: | Jagna Rita Sobel, Instytut Historyczny, Uniwersytet Wrocławski |
| Paper 1708-a | Practices of Archiving the Documents of the Late Medieval Bishops of Kraków (Language: English) Index terms: Archives and Sources, Charters and Diplomatics |
| Paper 1708-b | Storage of Official Documents in Medieval Royal Towns in Bohemia: The Example of Selected Municipal Offices (Language: English) Index terms: Archives and Sources, Charters and Diplomatics |
| Paper 1708-c | By the Way of Conclusion: The Making, Using, and Keeping (or Not) of Documents in East Central Europe from the Perspective of Late Medieval Documentary Cultures (Language: English) Index terms: Archives and Sources, Charters and Diplomatics |
| Abstract | Study of medieval documents in Europe has a long tradition, yet it continues to attract undiminished interest. Since the publication of Michael Clanchy’s influential book From Memory to Written Record, scholars have shown increasing interest in the “whole life” of medieval documentation, from its production in the chancery to its preservation – or frequent destruction. This three-part session presents reflections on this life cycle of documents in the context of late medieval East Central Europe. The final part will examine the problem of preserving previously produced documentation, including practices of archiving as well as the conscious (or unconscious) destruction of records. We recommend assigning this session to the following strands: 1) Literacy and Communication, 2) Government, Law and Institutions, and 3) Central and Eastern European Studies. |