Search Terms
When using Search Engines or Databases to find resources...
Use
“early medieval” OR “dark age”
“religious women” OR “monastic women”
“Germany”
Avoid
“nun” (too generic) AND “East Francia” (too specific)
Subject Headings
204 Religious experience, life, practice
207 Missions and religious education
274 History of Christianity in Europe
281 Early church and Eastern churches
943 Germany and central Europe
BR160-275 Christianity–History–By period–Early and medieval
BX895-939 Christian Denominations–Catholic Church–Study and teaching
BX940-1745 Christian Denominations–Catholic Church–History
BX2400-4563 Christian Denominations–Catholic Church–Monasticism. Religious orders
DD127-135 History of Germany–History–By period–Early and medieval to 1519–Medieval Empire, 481 - 1273–481-918. Merovingians. Carolingians
DD136-144 History of Germany–History–By period–Early and medieval to 1519–Medieval Empire, 481 - 1273–Houses of Saxony and Franconia
Author
Introduction
Until recently, there has been a relative lack of scholarly interest on the topic of women’s monastic communities in early medieval Germany, also known as East Francia. Any work within a field that focuses on the experiences of marginalized or oppressed peoples should be viewed as inherently important as a counter to dominant narratives. As the list of published works on the topic continues to grow, it also becomes important to provide a guide to select resources that not only evaluates them for authority and content, but also gathers them into one place for future use. This Research Guide is intended to address that need.
Medievalists or those working in the field of women’s studies at the postsecondary level will find this guide useful to assist with the analysis of such information and the attainment of a deeper understanding of subcategories in the field. While this is a niche research interest, it is also an expanding one. As such, this guide should not be considered as comprehensive, but rather as a usable starting point for further study.
While all sources are listed in APA format on the References page, I have separated them into topical areas, such as an Overview of Women's Monastic Communities, Architecture, Artwork & Manuscripts, Intellectual Networks, and Culture, Politics & Society, which have received their own pages in the sidebar of this guide.
A Note about Germany
I will often use “Germany” as a matter of convenience, but during the medieval period, especially from the 9th century CE onward, it was more properly known as “East Francia”. See below for a map of the geographic area that is focused on in this guide.
This map has been adapted from Gandersheim and Quedlinburg, C. 852-1024 by S. Greer.
Glossary
Carolingians : the Frankish ruling dynasty of the territory that would come to be the modern nations of France, Germany, and Italy, and the Low Countries from the 8th century until the 10th century
Early Medieval Period, Dark Ages : a period of roughly 500 years from the end of Antiquity through the 10th century
Frank, Frankish : a group of Germanic people who settled between the Rhine and Meuse Rivers, in modern Belgium, in the 3rd century CE
Liturgy : the material means by which worship is conducted
Memoria : the remembrance of the dead through prayer and ritual
Ottonians : named after Otto I, the Saxon family that ruled what would become Germany from the 10th century until the 11th century CE
Saxon, Saxony : the term for the Germanic people who lived in/the northern parts of what would become modern Germany
Acknowledgment
I would like to express my deepest gratitude to Professor Helene Scheck at the University at Albany. Under her honest, yet kind guidance, I have been able to explore and grow an academic interest in women's monastic communities in early medieval Europe.