Medieval Studies

German medieval studies at the University of Luxembourg focuses on German language and literature from the Middle Ages to the early modern period.

This period saw political, religious, and cultural-intellectual developments that have continued to shape Europe to this day, and that constitute the roots of European identity(ies). One such fundamental development is the establishment and transmission of a pan-European written culture and of literary models. Materials (myths, legends) were formed during this period, creating a reservoir of knowledge that define communicative community(ies). For example, the Melusine material and the late-13th-century epic poem “Yolanda of Vianden”, both of which are relevant beyond Luxembourg, as well as and especially the stories about King Arthur, the Nibelungenlied, poets such as Wolfram von Eschenbach, Walther von der Vogelweide, and Hartmann von Aue – these all shape one of the most important literary periods for literature written in German.

The special interest of medieval studies at Luxembourg lies in diachronic interculturality (see focal point Interculturality), as well as in medieval didactics for secondary education (see Master en Enseignement Secondaire), one aim being to open up German medieval studies to a perspective that is both interdisciplinary (media studies, history) and diachronic.

Medieval studies has close interaction with international partner universities, for example in the form of project work (Erasmus+ TALC_me), and collaborations that aim to promote and intensify how teaching and research institutions in medieval studies network across Europe.

The European Master’s programme in Transnational German Studies, which has been running since 2020, also pursues this aim by enabling participants to study at four prominent study locations in the European Higher Education Area. The universities in Porto, Luxembourg, Mainz, and Palermo give students in-depth, subject-specific skills in the fields of cultural history, German medieval studies, and literary studies.

Contact: Dr Amelie Bendheim (amelie.bendheim@uni.lu)