Continuity and Change in Medieval East Central Europe: Social, Ruling and Religious Transformations

Continuity and Change in Medieval East Central Europe explores the crucial societal, political, and cultural dynamics that defined medieval East Central Europe during the early and high Middle Ages. Focusing on the historical regions of Bohemia, Hungary, Poland, and Lithuania, the book provides a comprehensive and comparative analysis of this transformative historical period. It gathers the latest perspectives from leading experts, offering nuanced insights into the interactions between power, religion, and social structures. Featuring original chapters from an interdisciplinary team of contributors, this volume delves into specific aspects of medieval East Central Europe. It examines the "dark ages" around 900 AD, the territorial organization of the Piast monarchies, and the evolution of rulership in the Grand Duchy of Lithuania. Other topics include the changing social status of royal servants in Hungary, the role of church and state in societal changes, and the unique concept of twin cathedrals in ecclesiastical architecture. By providing comparative assessments, the book highlights the complex relationship between continuity and change, offering fresh perspectives on the political and cultural transformations that influenced the region's development. Intended for historians and archaeologists interested in medieval societal changes, this volume is also essential for students in history, archaeology, and art history. By presenting cutting-edge research from various language areas and historical schools, the book makes advanced scholarship accessible to English-speaking readers. It serves the Anglophone academic market and engages experts and students within East Central Europe, offering a critical resource for understanding the medieval period's enduring impact on contemporary societies.

Table of Contents:
Introduction 1 Dušan Zupka Continuity and Change in Medieval East Central Europe: An Introduction Part 1 Early and High Medieval Transformations 2 Daniel Ziemann Dark Ages in Central Europe? – The period around 900 A.D. as a turning point 3 Ágnes Ritoók Mosaburg – Zalavár: Changing Forms of Continuity 4 Piotr Pranke “Power Networks” and the State – how Was the first Piast State Created? 5 Pavol Hudáček From Royal Populi to Filii Iobagionum (the Change in the Social Position of “Royal Servants” to “Conditional Nobles” in the Region of Liptov in the 13th Century) 6 Franciszek Dąbrowski Territorial Organisation of the Piast Monarchies in 10th-13th Centuries: Factors of Continuity, Factors of Change, Change of Historiography Concepts Part 2 Elites and Rulers 7 Christian Raffensperger Recentring Medieval Europe: Making the Periphery Central 8 Yanina Ryier From a Chief to Grand Duke: Evolution of a Ruler`s Role and Functions in the Forming of Grand Duchy of Lithuania in the Mid-13th to the Mid-14th Century 9 Cosmin Popa-Gorjanu Continuity and Change in the History of Elites in Medieval Hungary: The Nobility and the Knezes 10 Paweł Figurski Pope Gregory the Great (d. 604), Bishop Stanisław of Cracow (d. 1079), and the Unbound Rhinoceros 11 Attila Bárány King Andrew II of Hungary's Crusade in 1217: New Insights Part 3 Church and Culture 12 Beatrix F. Romhányi Population and Church Organisation in the Carpathian Basin between the Foundation of the Kingdom of Hungary and the Mongol Invasion (1000–1241) 13 Béla Zsolt Szakács Double Cathedrals and Church Families in Medieval East Central Europe 14 Anna Adamska Continuity and Change in Studying East Central European Literacy 15 Gábor Barabás A Series of Unfortunate Papal Legates: Papal Interventions in Hungary at the Turn of the 13th–Fourteenth Centuries and the Hungarian Chronicle-Composition Afterword 16 Florin Curta Plus ça Change: A Fractal Afterword