Medieval Studies at The University of Utrecht, Department of History and Art History focus on Literacy and Society
The Department of History and Art History is composed of three sections: History, Art History and the Centre for Conflict Studies. The research and education programmes of the History section span the period from Classical Antiquity up to the present day. The department places a special emphasis on the history of Europe, but it also has study and research programmes dealing with the history and culture of the United States, Africa and Eastern and Western Asia.
The department’s Art History section performs research and provides education on the fine arts and architectural history from Classical Antiquity to the present day, with a special emphasis on the Middle Ages. Two research institutes at Utrecht University are involved in the study of Medieval Culture: the Research Institute for History and Art History and the Institute for Cultural Inquiry.
The research group, Medieval Culture, studies primarily medieval sources as forms of communication. Attention is paid to all the different forms – verbal, written and visual – and their interaction. The central questions are: who communicated with whom, for what reasons, and what kinds of message (intellectual, emotional, instructive, inciting, etc.) were exchanged?
PROJECTS:
- Medieval Literacy Platform
- The changing face of medieval Dutch narrative literature in the early period of print (1477-c. 1540)
- Bilingualism in Medieval Ireland – language choice as part of intellectual culture
- In Tune with Eternity: Song and the Spirituality of the Modern Devotion
- Cultural Memory and the Resources of the Past: 400-1000 AD
- The Dynamics of the Medieval Manuscript: Text Collections from a European Perspective
- Medieval Memoria Online (MeMO)
- Medieval Urban Literacy
- Mind over Matter. Debates about sacred relics as sacred objects
- Dynamics of Apocryphal Traditions in Medieval Religious Culture
The Institute has an impressive profile and a long list of important publications.
Utrecht University offers students various possibilities for studying medieval history, literature, art, music etc., at undergraduate (BA) as well as graduate (MA) level. Tutoring is provided by specialists in a variety of disciplines.
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