Schule und Universität. Bildungsverhältnisse in norddeutschen Städten des Spätmittelalters: Gesammelte Aufsätze, and: Studieren an mittelalterlichen Universitäten. Chancen und Risiken. Gesammelte Aufsätze (review)

The history of education, of schools and universities in the Middle Ages, has been and still is in the focus of German-speaking historical research. Nevertheless, questions and subjects depend on methodologial mainstreams, as, for instance, that initiated by Peter Moraw, viz. the constitutional history of universities as part of the development of territories and the beginning of the modern "state." Sociological studies (Rainer Stichweh) argued nearly in the same way but concentrated on the early modern period. Recent historical studies, published and initiated by Rainer C. Schwinges, are dealing with the social history of learned men, the regional and social background of students, and the possible careers of "academics" in contemporary society. Another mainstream changes the focus from the institutional or social history to the cultural history and from school and university to the interdisciplinary subject of a history of knowledge (Wissensgesellschaft), as does Johannes Fried. The changing of subjects causes a difference of terminology; history of schools (Schulgeschichte, Bildungsgeschichte) and even of universities (Universitäts-geschichte) in contrast to social history of learned people (Sozialgeschichte der Gelehrten), or the history of knowledge (Wissensgeschichte) may nowadays possibly be misunderstood as old-fashioned. If it is no longer necessary to prove that the institutional history of school and university is not at all uninteresting and can in contrast be seen as an actual basic condition for further interdisciplinary research, credit should be given to two German historians: Jürgen Miethke (professor emeritus of the University of Heidelberg) and Klaus Wriedt (professor emeritus of the University of Osnabrück). Together with other European historians such as Jacques Verger or Nicholas Orme and their American colleague William Courtenay, Miethke and Wriedt advanced current historical research on schools (Wriedt) and universites (Miethke). It therefore is highly important and useful to have a collection of the most important articles of these scholars collected in the widely known series "Education and Society in the Middle Ages and Renaissance." Both publications will no doubt help to keep the subjects of their study in discussion, as part of historical research as well as of general interest to the public.

Under the title "Studieren an mittelalterlichen Universitäten" sixteen articles of Jürgen Miethke are collected. He is known as one of the outstanding specialists on the history of political theory in the Middle Ages as well, but in this volume only his articles on the history of medieval universities are presented. In his introduction (pp. vii-xiii) the author provides some notes on the history of research on his subject, which he defines as social and real life within the institutions. Formal and juridical aspects and the organization of everyday life at universities, therefore, are in the focus, as well as the motivations and hopes of those who decided to start studying at a university. Miethke is careful not to underestimate the role and influence of the Church, whose controlling of the formal correctness of knowledge could lead to severe conflicts between research, academic liberty, and traditional order. Finally the communication at the universities and their contribution to communication in society, as for instance the spoken word as instrument of academic communication, is one of the most important subjects Miethke has brought into discussion.

The presentation of the sixteen articles reprinted here, first published between 1975 and 2001, follows the above cited topics: I. Foundation and constitution of universities (1-4), II. Life and career of students (5-8), III. Ecclesiastical control (9-13), IV. The University of Heidelberg (14...