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Mendicant Orders and Urban Life in the Middle Ages I: the Franciscans – some aspects on German historiography since World War II

Mendicant Orders and Urban Life in the Middle Ages I: the Franciscans – some aspects on German historiography since World War II 

By Dieter Berg

Religion, Ritual and Mythology Aspects of Identity Formation in Europe, edited by Joaquim Carvalho (Pisa University Press, 2006)

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Introduction: This chapter will try to examine the essential features of historical research on the history of the Order of the Franciscans after the end of the Second World War, and especially the relationship between the Mendicants and citizenry, with regard to a historical research inventory for the geographical area of today’s Republic of Germany. As the field of research “Mendicants and City” cannot be studied in isolation, the major tendencies of the development of Mendicant historical research will be outlined with respect to sources and basic research. As a result, the field of research of “Franciscans and Citizenry” can be documented in detail. In the first part, reference will be made to general literature and manuals in which the problem is mentioned, as well as monographs of the history of certain monasteries which directly address the problem area. Due to the vast numbers of different studies, only a representative choice of works will be presented. In the second part, the most important aspects, such as the history of the monasteries or special studies on certain topics, will be used to explain the major conventions of communication between the Franciscans and the citizens in the urban area.

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