Canossa, 1077: Emperor vs Pope, with Blair Apgar
When it came to power in medieval Europe, much of it rested in the hands of kings and popes. But what happened when they decided not to share it? This week on The Medieval Podcast Danièle speaks with Blair Apgar about the dramatic clash of emperor versus pope at Canossa in 1077.
Using Isotopic Analysis to Investigate Diet and Disease in a Medieval German Poorhouse
This paper presents a bioarchaeological case study on a medieval poorhouse skeletal collection from Regensburg, Germany.
Medieval Jewish cemetery in Germany vandalized
A Jewish cemetery in the German city of Worms, which dates back to the 11th century, has been closed for several days after many of its medieval tombstones were vandalized.
The Saxon expeditions against the Wends and the foundation of Magdeburg during Otto I’s reign
This essay ask for the reasons why some rulers such as Otto I strove for an imperial agenda and how the expeditions of his margraves across Elbe were legitimized by contemporary writers.
A Fruitful Partnership: Jews and the Canons of St. Kilian in Twelfth-century Würzburg
Over the course of about a century, from around 1120 to around 1220, the canons of St. Kilian, caretakers of the Neumünster church in Würzburg had frequent – one might even say constant – business dealings with the Jews of that same city.
The Commerce of the German Alpine Passes During the Early Middle Ages
In addition to the inability of the manor to be self-sufficient, the human desire for luxuries, foreign goods, such as fine clothing, highly decorated weapons, and exceptional foods, especially foreign wines and spices, tended to keep commerce alive.
900 years ago she was artist – we know this because she has bits of blue stone in her teeth
A team of researchers examining the remains of a woman buried around the year 1100 AD have – to their surprise – discovered dozens of tiny bits of blue stone in her teeth. They soon realized that she was likely a painter of illuminated medieval manuscripts.
How the borders of Germany changed in the Middle Ages
Three videos showing the changing borders of what is now Germany and Austria, between the years 843 to 2018.
5 Things to Know about the Richest Person in History
Here are five things to know about Jakob Fugger, the richest person in history, who had a networth of $400 billion.
The Franks in the early Ideology of Frederick Barbarossa (1152-1158)
This article traces the Frankish legacy in the early years of Frederick Barbarossa’s reign, from his coronation to the diet of Roncaglia (1152-1158).
Parasites from medieval latrines tell a story of changing dietary habits
A radical new approach combining archaeology, genetics and microscopy can reveal long-forgotten secrets of human diet, sanitation and movement from studying parasites in medieval poo.
Nuremberg’s Noble Servant: Werner von Parsberg (d. 1455) between Town and Nobility in Late Medieval Germany
Through this appreciation of the factors supporting town–noble cooperation in the late Middle Ages we are better able to understand the formation and development of the dialectic of town and nobility as a way of understanding German society.
Researchers discover early medieval women with their skulls altered
A new palaeogenomic study of early medieval people in southern Germany has revealed the presence of women who had their skulls artificially altered.
The Medieval Magazine: (Volume 3: No. 18): Issue 101: Reformation 500
In this issue: 80+ pages of news, books, articles, exhibits, and events, with a focus on the 500th Anniversary of the Reformation!
Medical and Dietetic References in Medieval German Cookbooks
Medical and Dietetic References in Medieval German Cookbooks By Marialuisa Caparrini I castelli di Yale online, Vol.5:1 (2017) Abstract: This article aims at…
DNA samples reveal Viking Age fish trade
It has been assumed that the Vikings were trading in cod, but so far solid evidence has been lacking. With new methods, it is possible to extract ancient DNA from fishbone remnants and this can provide some exciting new information!
The Walk to Canossa: The Tale of an Emperor and a Pope
Ever since it happened people have been debating what took place at Canossa. Some have called it a brilliant masterstroke by Emperor Henry IV, while others have termed it his humiliation.
Student Life in the Medieval University: The Swedish Experience
What was it like to attend a university in the Middle Ages?
Life in a Small Medieval Town – The Limburg Chronicle
Some scenes of daily life from a small town in medieval Germany, recorded in the fourteenth-century.
Castle for Sale in Germany: Schochwitz Castle
This stunning castle dates from the 15th century, and has been carefully renovated with conservation of many of the original elements.
Augsburg Master Builders’ Ledgers now available online
The material offers incomparable insights into the medieval accounting practices in the City of Augsburg in the period 1320 to 1466.
Medieval Poultry, or A Recipe and a Battle Scene
What follows is not precisely scholarly, but it is one of those delightful byproducts of scholarly work that feed our curiosity.
A Clergyman out of Control: Portrait of a Bishop Around the Year 1000
The following example describes Bishop Megingaud of Eichstaett (991–1014/1015) who was anything but holy.
The Global Side of Medieval at the Getty Centre: Traversing the Globe Through Illuminated Manuscripts
Los Angeles correspondent, Danielle Trynoski takes through the, ‘Traversing the Globe Through Illuminated Manuscripts’ exhibut at the Getty Museum.
Movie Review: Pope Joan – Medieval Legend Comes to Life Onscreen
Released in 2009, also under its German title, ,Die Päpstin,, ,Pope Joan’ recounts the medieval legend of Johanna von Ingleheim, a woman who disguised herself as a man, lived as a monk, and eventually went on to become pope in the ninth century.