Ghent (22-23.05.2014) and Brussels (24.05.2014)

This conference aims at approaching the perception and performance of social identity in urban societies between c. 1050 and 1250 in North-West Europe from a cultural historical perspective in its broadest possible sense. Due to the relative paucity of written materials produced by urban groups themselves, we focus not only on how new groups emerged, but especially on how they became conscious of themselves and were recognised by others. What types of behaviour and cultural expressions described in our sources signalled their existence and how were they perceived in both daily situations and extraordinary conflicts?

The conference brings together scholars from different research traditions to approach these themes in an internationally comparative context. The programme is geared towards refining the theoretical framework and methodologies to address the dynamic of urbanisation and social change of the High Middle Ages (1000-1250) across England, France north of the Loire, the Low Countries and Germany. The conference papers will address a diverse range of topics, from general questions concerning urban identity formation before 1250 to case studies of specific groups in specific towns, and will be based on a broad range of sources.

Other confirmed speakers are: Letha Boehringer (Universität zu Köln), Paulo Charruadas (Université Libre de Bruxelles), James Davis (Queen's University Belfast), Jeroen Deploige (Ghent University), Jan Dumolyn (Ghent University), Daniel Gerrard (University of Oxford), Derek Keene (University of London), Jelle Koopmans (University of Amsterdam), Anne Lester (Boulder University, CO), Keith Lilley (Queen's University Belfast), Jehangir Malegam (Duke University, NC), Hélène Noizet (Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne), Sarah Rees Jones (University of York), Jeff Rider (Wesleyan University, CT), Walter Simons (Dartmouth College, NH), Ewoud Waerniers (Ghent University), Sethina Watson (University of York)

We would especially like to complete the programme with a few papers on German or French urban centres. We also invite early career researchers, including PhD students, to submit abstracts. The main conference language will be English, but speakers can also give a paper in French or German. The conference is free of charge for speakers and will cover hotel accommodation and meals, but we ask participants to cover their own travel expenses.

Please submit 200 words abstracts to Jeroen.Deploige@ugent.be by 20 February 2014 at the latest.
Speakers will be notified of the outcome before 25 February 2014.

This conference will be organised in conjunction with the international IAP-project 'City and Society in the Low Countries' and funded by the Henri Pirenne Pirenne Institute for Medieval Studies at Ghent University, the Flemish Research Foundation, the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts and the Thomas and Catharine McMahon Memorial Fund of Wesleyan University.