6. Territoriality of power versus the mobility of people and ideas
The Middle Ages was a continuous expansion of Europe, identified with christianitas, until the fall of the Emirate of Granada in 1492. Medieval Europe was born in the melting pot of migrations, at the end of the era it expanded across the oceans, but this had happened to some extent earlier (the Crusades). People moved within Europe – without freedom in this area it is difficult to imagine colonization processes. We are used to talking about medieval Europe of states and nations, but it itself still wanted to be a universe, which – for a large part of the continent – was led by Rome. One could even put forward a provocative thesis that Europe at that time was a Roman state, ruled by popes with broader competences than the power of medieval emperors. Medieval cartography also gave us such a vision of Europe and the world (except that the axis mundi lay outside Europe – in Jerusalem). But even particular maps did not show borders. Let us therefore try to face the question of whether medieval Europe was a unity, or whether it was more united than later. Perhaps it was also a Europe of dynamic people. Perhaps it was simply a Europe without borders, both on a macro and micro scale.
My paper will analyse historiographical texts by humanist authors from Central Europe who deal with the Czech lands in the Middle Ages in different ways and from different perspectives. In particular, I will focus on their perceptions of the origins of the region, the characteristics of the various tribes that inhabited it, the course of Christianisation and the characteristics of individual rulers. Another important issue for me is whether the Bohemian lands were seen as part of Germania or Sarmatia. I will focus in particular on texts by Melchior Goldast, Pavel Stránský and Bohuslav Balbín from a broader perspective, as well as texts of Polish and Saxon provenance and local Upper Lusatian historiography.
2025-09-18 17:00-17:30, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 1.34
Medieval Kraków, as a city located at the intersection of trade routes, quickly became one of the most important places for merchants. It was they who, traveling across Europe, connected Kraków with the continent through their transactions. Along with goods, they also carried political, religious, and cultural ideas. In my paper I will focus only on merchants from the Rhineland who settled in Kraków in the 15th century, such as Seweryn Bethman, the Schillings, and the Boners. I will attempt to trace their migration route to Kraków, reconstruct the international networks of contacts they established, both during their migration and after they were granted the privileges of Kraków’s municipal law, as well as take a closer look at the functioning of their trading companies. Additionally, I will try to identify the factors that contributed to their rapid rise, not only within the urban structures.
2025-09-18 15:30-16:00, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 1.34
The aim of the presentation is to depict the image of Christian Rus' in the "Annals," particularly the place assigned to the Orthodox Rus' people by the chronicler within the Christian universe. Undertaking inquiries into the chronicler's view of Rus' and the Rus' people is linked to the attempt to reconstruct his perceptions, evaluations, and judgments about this nation, and thus to studies on the mentality and awareness of the Slavic community in the High Middle Ages. The issue of the perception of Eastern Rite Christianity by Długosz is inseparably connected with the question of the place of the Orthodox Church in the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth contemporary to the chronicler and how it was treated by the inhabitants of the Crown, especially by the political and church elites. It is also crucial to pose the question of the integration of Rus' saints into the Polish liturgical tradition. The process of identifying the concept of Ecclesia with the Latin Church formed the basis for a certain ambivalence in the chronicler's approach to granting, or denying, the Orthodox Rus' people membership in the Christian world.
2025-09-18 16:30-17:00, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 1.34
The Crown of the Kingdom of Bohemia still raises the question of the reasons for its creation in 1348. For years, the author has maintained that the reason was the need for a more complete legalization of the acquisition of Polish lands (Silesia, Masovia) under the rule of the rulers in Prague. However, the political status of Wrocław in the years 1335-1348 remains unclear. It is obvious, however, that the concept of the Bohemian state implemented by Charles IV over the next generations was not understood by all Czech political elites, and in the following decades of the 15th century its understanding became increasingly different in Prague and Wrocław. The essence of the problem, which Czech researchers cannot accept, is that a component of this state was the "Piast trace" - an element of the political practice of Polish rule anchored in Wrocław. This was the principle of (absolute) heredity of power.
2025-09-18 12:00-12:30, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 1.34
The duke, in his 1257 location privilege, encouraged newcomers “from all parts of the world” to settle in Krakow - emphasizing his authority over the territory, a disposition in the sense that it is the duke who gives this encouragement, and local Krakow factors do not participate. There is also a premise here for considering medieval mobility. The prince does not set the boundaries of this immigration. In the following section, I wanted to show the directions of the influx - it is initially mainly Silesia and their gradual expansion - Bohemia, Germany, Hungary, the Roman countries, etc. I am also interested in the terms that were applied to the inhabitants already after their settlement in Cracow (Galliks, Hungarians, Czechs, Ruthenians, Italics, Germans - both in general and in distinctions such as Thuringians, Saxons, etc.)
2025-09-18 13:00-13:30, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 1.34
It is obvious that the transition from one era to another is a fluid process, lasting many years, and limiting it to specific dates mainly introduces order in chronology. I want to start a discussion about another boundary date between antiquity and the Middle Ages - 486. First, I will present why 476 should not be the date of the end of antiquity. It is worth mentioning that the society of that time did not perceive the return of the imperial insignia as a breakthrough event (even contemporary authors did not note it as a significant change). Then I will discuss the governorship of Syagrius in northern Gaul and why its end should be the new date of the change of eras. Syagrius was governor on behalf of the Western emperors, then Emperor Zeno. A fragment of the Western Roman Empire continued to exist, even if Ravenna and Rome fell under foreign rule. Only after the victory of Clovis in 486 and the removal of Syagrius we can speak of the final collapse of the Roman state in the West.
2025-09-18 09:00-09:30, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 1.34
The exercise of power was not evenly distributed in space and time in the Middle Ages (and in other eras as well), and the torso records can only identify the days and places of the king's presence for a fraction of the reign, usually less than 10%. A novel approach to this problem has been taken by Eckhardt Müller-Mertens (1923-2015), who has offered a method that can bridge these weaknesses and offer a comprehensive assessment of the reign of a given monarch. In order to use this method for the reign of Přemysl Ottokar II, we had to reconstruct the missing itinerary and regesta of his reign, which consists of 980 items, as well as a comprehensive record of persons present at the court (over 3000 records). In particular, attention will be paid to the question of how the king's itinerary and the intensity of his monarchical activities changed in the context of his founding deeds and the current political situation. The paper will also present a comprehensive evaluation of the prosopographical analysis of the persons present at Přemysl's court.
2025-09-18 10:30-11:00, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 1.34
The aim of the paper is to attempt to show the scope and nature of contacts between the faithful from the Krakow diocese and the Holy See in the 15th century. Analyses of sources should indicate which groups dominated. This should bring us closer to answering questions about the scope of their contacts and activities. In turn, the nature of the cases reported should, on the one hand, show the level of knowledge and awareness of the norms of canon law, and on the other hand, highlight the problem of the involvement of the faithful in the religious life of their parish. This should also provide an answer to the next question, whether access to the Roman Curia was a limit for the faithful from the Krakow diocese that they were able to cross. Considering the above issues through the prism of not only individuals or institutions, but also the papacy itself, we can subject the thesis put forward by the organizers to deeper reflection, that medieval Europe was a Roman state, ruled by popes.
2025-09-18 16:00-16:30, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 1.34
Along with the Christianization of Polish lands, inhumation and row cemeteries also appeared in Mazovia. However, the specificity of this region was that, in addition to cemeteries with pit burials, cemeteries with stone structures were also used. Over time, their range also expanded eastward to the areas of present-day Podlachia. For years, researchers have been intrigued by the origins of this type of funeral rite and the related issue of the provenance of the people buried in them and their movement between regions and communities. In order to answer these questions, as part of the research project “Populus Masoviae Medi Aevi” under the supervision of prof. A. Buko (NCN 2019/33/B/HS3/02453), were carried out analyses of the stable isotopes of strontium 87Sr/86Sr and oxygen 18O/16O of human remains and elements of the local environment (soil, water, plants, animals). They provided interesting and sometimes surprising results, which will be presented and discussed during the speech.
2025-09-18 10:00-10:30, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 1.34
By the late 11th century, the western and northern parts of the Carpathian arc had become a significant region for trade and military activities. Despite its historical importance, the study of the northern frontier of the Kingdom of Hungary remains an underexplored topic in both Slovak and Hungarian scholarly discourse.
This study highlights the complexity and research potential of the Árpád-Piast borderland, emphasizing the economical, cultural, and dynastic connections that shaped its historical development. Drawing on available historical and archaeological sources, primarily from the 11th century, the study examines the role of the Western Carpathian arc as a frontier zone between the Árpád and Piast domains. Key areas of focus include population mobility, mountain passes and their seasonal use, trade routes, and the territorial-administrative centres associated with them.
2025-09-18 09:30-10:00, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 1.34
First, I will discuss the concept of "entourage" in relation to the rulers of the late Middle Ages. Using selected examples of dukes of Upper Silesia (Opole, Racibórz, Oświęcim), I will outline (and compare) their entourage (local and foreign). Then, I will present the mobility of these people, which was associated with the necessity of staying with the ruler, accompanying him on tours of the duchy, but also on journeys outside the duchy. I will also refer to their mobility through the prism of the migration of people from the duke's entourage to territories temporarily in the hands of the dukes. That is, those who took up offices there, which often ended in permanent migration, even in situations when the ruler lost these lands.
2025-09-18 12:30-13:00, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 1.34
Bolesław III, duke of Legnica and Wroclaw was not considered to be a good ruler, according to historiography. It was mainly a result of unfavorable opinion about him, made by the author of The Chronicle of Polish Dukes. The Duke’s financial problems in the later phase of his reign, were extended for its entire duration. However, when Boleslaw III was the ruler of his father’s – Henry V entire inheritance, he conducted a dynamic policy that often went beyond the territory of his duchy. Sources unequivocally show that in most undertakings the duke took a personal part, which involved numerous trips. The paper will present the duke’s peregrinations during the period of Boleslaw III domination of the Legnica-Wroclaw Duchy in 1302-1311. The issue of the duke’s detours in the territories controlled by him will be discussed, as well as foreign expeditions: to Bohemia in 1303-1304, to Opava's land, which duke controlled in 1309-1311 (including controversial locations: castrum: Wylin, Maltiz.)
2025-09-18 11:30-12:00, Instytut Kultury Europejskiej UAM, 1.34
