14. One crown, many ethnicities. The multi-ethnic political communities of medieval Europe
The discussion on the significance of the ethnic nature of group identities for the inhabitants of medieval Europe has been ongoing for many years. It began as early as the formation of the idea of the modern nations. Pointing to the medieval roots of nationalist political formations justified the right to separate them from wider political structures. It also defined the attribution of a particular territory to one ethnic group. The idea of medieval Europe as a collection of states representing an ethnic mosaic comparable to the twentieth-century political map of the continent became fixed in the minds of Europeans. However, in practice, between 450 and 1450, political communities consisted of multiple identity groups that accepted the authority of a single person or centre of power. These multi-ethnic political communities developed mechanisms for cooperation. In this section we would like to invite discussion on 1) the functioning of communication within multi-ethnic communities; 2) the identification and resolution of ethnic conflicts within these communities; 3) the impact of knowledge of medieval, multi-ethnic European history on contemporary culture and politics in Europe.
The paper focuses on the integration of the Orthodox Ruthenian elites of the principality of Polotsk within the multi-ethnic and multi-religious Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the 14th century. Despite the annexation of the principality of Polotsk by Lithuania at the beginning of the 14th century, Polotsk retained significant autonomy in local affairs until the late 1390s, serving as a vivid example of the integration policy of the Lithuanian grand dukes in the annexed Ruthenian lands. The analysis addresses issues such as the appointment of Lithuanian grand dukes’ relatives and allies to key administrative positions in Polotsk, dynastic marriages between members of the grand ducal family and representatives of the Ruthenian elites, the baptism of members of the Lithuanian dynasty in the Eastern rite, and agreements between the Lithuanian rulers and local elites that allowed the grand dukes to maintain political control over Polotsk while simultaneously gaining the support of local elites
2025-09-20 11:30-12:00, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 1.27
The paper will focus on the process of creating the transpersonal idea of the High Medieval monarchy as an institution and platform for coexistence and multi-ethnic communities, which established itself in the Central European space during the transformation process from the second half of the 12th to the middle of the 14th century.
This process will be demonstrated through the development of the search for and formation of a trans-personal and territorial overarching principle in the Bohemian lands under the reign of the last Premyslids, culminating in the reigns of John and especially Charles of Luxembourg, when the concept of the Corona was fully legitimized.
2025-09-20 10:30-11:00, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 1.27
The kingdom of Hungary was inhabited by a variety of populations, speaking many different languages and also adhering to a variety of religions. The paper will examine medieval accounts of cases of communication between groups of different languages and religions. It will also reflect on modern interpretations of medieval multiethnicity, in particular as related to 'one crown'.
2025-09-20 09:00-09:30, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 1.27
Prykarpatśkyj nacionalnyj uniwersytet imeni Wasyla Stefanyka
The speech is dedicated to the term "Kingdom of Rus'" in Hungarian Latin-language sources from the reign of the Anjou dynasty. This term was used in the chancellery of King Charles Robert for the refering to the possessions of the Romanid dynasty even before the extinction of them "by the sword" in 1323. At the same time, the rulers from Rus' were titled such a Princes of the Rus' land, Galicia and Lodomeria or lords and heirs of the kingdom of Rus'. After the koronation of Louis I such a King of Hungary and Poland, the term "Kingdom of Rus'" was used to refer to the former possessions of the Romanids. During the reigns of Louis I and his daughter Mary, the government terminology of the Kingdom of Rus' was widely used, and Vladislaus II of Opole ruled these lands as their vassal in 1372-1379 and 1385-1387. The intellectual environment of the Anjou dynasty considered various instruments for institutionalizing of the Kingdom of Rus, once initiated but not completed by King Danylo
2025-09-20 09:30-10:00, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 1.27
This lecture focuses on the analysis of the conflict between the Sardinian rulers known as the Iudices of Arborea, the last Sardinian Giudicato, heir of the centuries-old institutional tradition of Byzantine origin, and the sovereigns of Aragon, also kings of the Kingdom of Sardinia and Corsica since 1297. A clash that arose in the
mid-14th century with similar characteristics in much of Europe at the time: the clash between dynasties of ancient nobility and prestige and their respective sovereigns, committed to reducing their prerogatives. A conflict that, in order to face a powerful enemy like the king of Aragon, was transformed by a political propaganda into an ethnic one: Sardinians versus Aragonese, meaning all the subjects of the crown of Aragon, which lasted until 1420 with the Iberian victory. A confrontation that delayed the peaceful incorporation of Sardinians into the multi-ethnic Crown of Aragon by a century.
2025-09-20 10:00-10:30, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 1.27
In my presentation, I would like to look at the understanding of ethnicity in medieval texts from the eastern Adriatic coast, primarily in "The Chronicle of the Priest of Duklja" and the "History of the Bishops of Salona and Split" of Thomas the Archdeacon. I would like to discuss the way in which medieval narratives depicted different peoples and ethnic groups, taking into account stereotypical elements or the use of topoi when portraying otherness.
2025-09-20 12:00-12:30, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 1.27
Around 750-751, the Lombards conquered the Byzantine possessions in central Italy - the Duchy of Ferrara, and then the lands of the Exarchate in a narrow sense (including Ravenna), and the Duchy of Pentapolis. The sources provide a clear picture of the efforts undertaken by King Aistulf to quickly integrate the Roman population living in these areas. One aspect of the integration policy was a series of laws promulgated immediately after the conquest and, given the context, clearly relating to the lands of the Exarchate. Aistulf imposed military service on the Roman population on similar terms as the Lombards. The legislation also enforced severe restrictions on trade and general contacts with Byzantine possessions in Italy, forcing the conquered population to redirect their economic activity towards the Lombards. At the same time, the ruler tried to maintain the favor of the bishop of Ravenna, the main authority in the conquered area, through gifts and building activity.
2025-09-20 13:00-13:30, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 1.27
The paper considers the princes of Muscovy not as distinct rulers of subject people, but as officers of the Golden Horde government. It will use this concept to trace their careers, considering questions of language and culture, focusing on Ivan I as a warrior serving Özbeg Khan and as provincial governor. His relationship with Özbeg will help frame the discussion, situating Muscovy and the Golden Horde as a single entity. This relationship will be traced through subsequent princes to conclude with the attempt to use the Khan’s authority to resolve the succession dispute between Vasily II and his uncle Yury. Despite functional Golden Horde authority having ended in 1395 there was no mechanism for defining legitimate authority other than the conceptual authority of the Khan. When the practical realities of Golden Horde rule were no longer a factor, the princes still existed in conceptual world were the office of Grand Prince existed as part of a Tatar system.
2025-09-20 12:30-13:00, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 1.27
