20/02/2013
The first of the research meetings devoted to "Saints and their cult in Central Europe in the Middle Ages (11th - the beginning of the 16th century). The days of Central-European hagiology" organized by Marie-Madeleine de CEVINS (CERHIO, Université Rennes 2) and Olivier MARIN (CRESC, Université Paris-Nord, IUF) took place in Rennes on February 1, 2013. Six historians presented their papers on the topic Medieval Cult of Saints in East-Central Europe I: Ancient versus Modern Saints. Continuity, Transfers, Competition (Saints anciens et saints modernes: permanences, transferts, concurrences), joined by the introduction and conclusions presented by Marie-Madeleine de Cevins and Olivier Marin, with interesting discussions on the topic throughout the day. Two more study days on related themes - Saints et ordres mendiants and Saints de souche et saints d’importation – which will bring together more scholars of Central-European hagiography, including several participants of the CULTSYMBOLS project, are planned at Université Rennes 2 and Université de Paris 13 in the upcoming years.
The organizers invited the researchers to reconsider the pioneering thesis of André Vauchez presented in his Sainthood in Later Middle Ages, who divides Europe into two regions according to their attitude towards sainthood, especially the „modern“ saints, and Central Europe belongs to the „cold“ region, with a preference for traditional types of sainthood and less open to the new currents present in the Mediterranean. After 1989 the study of hagiography in Central Europe has seen great progress and has shed new light on the medieval cult of saints in this region. The papers presented during all study days will be published in a collected volume.
The organizers of the conferences also convene a related seminar "L’Europe centrale (Pologne, pays tchèques, Hongrie) de la fin du Xe siècle au début du XVIe siècle. Aspects religieux et culturels" at the École normale supérieure in Paris for students and researchers: http://www.histoire.ens.fr/L-Europe-centrale-Pologne-pays.html
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