Women Read. Differently?

Text in Medieval German Women Convents from the 13th to the 15th Centuries
1. Auflage 2026
ISBN: 978-3-8471-1945-6
Verlag: V & R Unipress GmbH

Buch, Englisch, Band Band 010, gebunden

Reihe: Transatlantische Studien zu Mittelalter und Früher Neuzeit - Transatlantic Studies on Medieval and Early Modern Literature and Culture (TRAST)

This volume challenges traditional views of women’s engagement with text in late-medieval German convents, moving beyond the idea of passive reception to highlight their active and creative use of writing. It explores diverse literary activities, such as reading aloud, singing, redacting, translating, and authoring. Through detailed case studies, the contributions investigate how factors like historical developments, social shifts, communal life, and personal networks influenced women’s access to and interaction with text. The studies emphasise the fluidity of textual transmission and adaptation within convents, demonstrating that women’s text use was highly contextualised and dynamic. Ultimately, the volume seeks to diversify our understanding of readership by examining specific social and literary contexts, and questioning the essentialising of gender differences in reading practices.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Kirakosian, Racha

Möllenbrink, Linus

Wüthrich, Meret

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Literaturwissenschaft Klassische Literaturwissenschaft
• Sozialwissenschaften Soziologie | Soziale Arbeit Soziale Gruppen/Soziale Themen Gender Studies, Geschlechtersoziologie

Über Autor(innen)

Wüthrich, Meret
Meret Wüthrich (University of Freiburg) specialises in Medieval German Studies, manuscript studies, and religious cultures.

Kirakosian, Racha
Racha Kirakosian (University of Freiburg) specialises in Medieval German Studies, manuscript studies, and religious cultures.

Möllenbrink, Linus
Linus Möllenbrink (Heidelberg University) specialises in Medieval German Studies, manuscript studies, and religious cultures.