Multiple communication and political order in Late Medieval Germany

2020 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 17K03171
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Scientific Research (C)
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Section: 一般
• Research Field: History of Europe and America
• Research Institution: Kyoto University
• Principal Investigator: Hattori Yoshihisa 京都大学, 文学研究科, 名誉教授 (80122365)
• Project Period (FY): 2017-04-01 – 2021-03-31
• Keywords: ドイツ / 中世後期 / コミュニケーション / 政治秩序 / 儀礼 / 同盟 / ネットワーク / 公論

Outline of Final Research Achievements

This research aims at re-interpretation of Late Medieval Germany often regarded as a Kingdom in the downfall. The focal points: 1. The representation of monarchical authority of the Kings by ritual performance and various visible mediums. 2. the emergence of wide-spreading public debate and public opinions in the periods of disputes between Emperor and Pope and during the Council of Constance in the 15th century. 3. The alliances and leagues of the towns, princes, and nobles. From the late fourteenth century on, the political elites and towns tried to settle the conflict between them and keep peace and order by alliances, which were widened in almost all the western parts of Germany in the 15th century. Emperor had to appreciate and rely on the influence of their autonomous cooperation. In this sense, we should consider the associative political culture as the important factor of the political integration of Late Medieval Germany as a loose polycentric community.

Free Research Field

西洋中世史

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

21世紀の歴史学方法論として現れた政治文化、言語・象徴儀礼を媒体とするコミュニケーション論の方法により、中世後期ドイツ史を没落の過程というイメージから解放し、制度国家、法治国家とは異なる固有の政治秩序による緩やかな政治的共同体として捉えなおした。すなわち王と諸侯のみならずより広範な政治主体によるコミュニケーションの拡大と稠密化が、地域、広域的な政治的ネットワークを形成し、また言語コミュニケーション空間を一種の公論として出現させた。君主の権威と統治はこのようなコミュニケーション空間との相互関係により成り立っていたことを明らかにした。この視点は国家を相対化する現代世界のあり方の考察にも貢献する。