HIAb06e Medieval History

Faculty of Arts
Spring 2025
Extent and Intensity
1/1/0. 3 credit(s). Type of Completion: zk (examination).
In-person direct teaching
Teacher(s)
doc. PhDr. Pavel Boček, CSc. (lecturer)
Mgr. Petra Melichar, PhD (lecturer)
prof. PhDr. Martin Wihoda, Ph.D. (lecturer)
Guaranteed by
prof. PhDr. Martin Wihoda, Ph.D.
Department of History – Faculty of Arts
Supplier department: Department of History – Faculty of Arts
Prerequisites (in Czech)
HIAb06u Introduction to Medieval Hist.
Course Enrolment Limitations
The course is only offered to the students of the study fields the course is directly associated with.
fields of study / plans the course is directly associated with
Course objectives
The lecture and seminar course places emphasis on the knowledge of the main problems of the development of Europe from the Migration of Nations to the end of the Middle Ages. Attention is focused on the summary of the basic problems of medieval Western and Eastern Europe and the ability to understand them. The fundamental aim will be explication of the causes of the basic different features of the development of Eastern and Western Europe in terms of politics, religion, society and culture.
Learning outcomes
The course graduate will be equipped with a synoptic knowledge and will be able to:
- characterise the main problems of European medieval history
– define the role of the Roman Empire in European medieval history
– analyse the basic causes of the differences in the development between Western and Eastern Europe
- describe the role of Christianity in the history of medieval Europe
- characterise the causes of the emergence of nation states
- define the causes and consequences of the crisis of the Late Middle Ages
Syllabus
  • 1. The Middle Ages, temporal and spatial contexts, periodization issues, the medieval persona nd his world
  • 2. Migration Period, end of Antiquity, beginning of the Middle Ages
  • 3. The Byzantine Empire and the main problems of its history
  • 4. The unification of Western Europe under the reigns of the Merovingians and Carolingians
  • 5. State formation and Christianisation of the southern and eastern Slavs
  • 6. The Ottonian Renaissance
  • 7. The Baltics in the Middle Ages
  • 8. The World of the Crusades
  • 9. The transformation of Central Europe under the reign of the Hohenstaufen
  • 10. Turko-Tatar nomads and the consequences of their raids
  • 11. Emergence of nation states
  • 12. Crisis of the Late Middle Ages
Literature
    required literature
  • FRIEDL, Jiří, Tomasz JUREK, Miloš ŘEZNÍK and Martin WIHODA. Dějiny Polska. Translated by Martin Veselka. Vydání první. Praha: NLN Nakladatelství lidové noviny, 2017, 690 stran. ISBN 9788074223068. info
  • RYCHLÍK, Jan, Bohdan ZILYNSKYJ and Paul R. MAGOCSI. Dějiny Ukrajiny. Vydání první. Praha: NLN, Nakladatelství Lidové noviny, 2015, 524 stran. ISBN 9788071064091. info
  • KOSMAN, Marceli. Dějiny Polska. Translated by Jan Vitoň. Vyd. 1. Praha: Karolinum, 2011, 451 s. ISBN 9788024618425. info
  • DVORNÍK, František. Zrod střední a východní Evropy : mezi Byzancí a Římem. Translated by Petr Slunečko. V českém jazyce vyd. 2. Praha: Prostor, 2008, 525 s. ISBN 9788072601950. info
  • ŠVANKMAJER, Milan. Dějiny Ruska. 4. rozšíř. vyd. Praha: Lidové noviny, 2004, 574 s. ISBN 8071066583. info
  • AVENARIUS, Alexander, Růžena DOSTÁLOVÁ, Vladimír FIALA, Věra HROCHOVÁ, Milan LOOS, Oldřich TŮMA and Vladimír VAVŘÍNEK. Dějiny Byzance. Edited by Bohumila Zástěrová. Vydání 1. Praha: Academia, 1992, 529 stran. ISBN 8020004548. info
  • LE GOFF, Jacques. Kultura středověké Evropy. Translated by Josef Čermák. Vyd. 1. Praha: Odeon, 1991, 747 s. ISBN 8020702067. info
    recommended literature
  • DVORNÍK, František. Fotiovo schizma : historie a legenda. Vyd. 1. Olomouc: Refugium Velehrad-Roma, 2008, 575 s. ISBN 9788086715940. info
  • PIPES, Richard and Stanislav PAVLÍČEK. Rusko za starého režimu. Vyd. 1. Praha: Argo, 2004, 404 s. ISBN 8072035592. info
  • HUIZINGA, J. Podzim středověku. Translated by Gabriela Veselá. Vyd. 1. Jinočany: H & H, 1999, 675 s. ISBN 8086022269. info
  • ŠPIDLÍK, Tomáš. Ruská idea :jiný pohled na člověka. Vyd. 1. Velehrad: Refugium, 1996, 414 s. ISBN 80-86045-02-1. info
  • MATTHEW, Donald. Svět středověké Evropy : kulturní atlas. Translated by Věra Kotábová - Kateřina Přádová. Vyd. 1. V Praze: Knižní klub, 1996, 240 s. ISBN 8071763748. info
  • ŠPIDLÍK, Tomáš. Spiritualita křesťanského Východu : systematická příručka. Řím: Křesťanská akademie, 1983, 437 s. info
  • GUREVIČ, Aron Jakovlevič. Kategorie středověké kultury. Translated by Jaroslav Kolár. 1. vyd. Praha: Mladá fronta, 1978, 286 s. URL info
  • MACŮREK, Josef. Dějiny polského národa. V Praze: Melantrich, 1948. info
  • MACŮREK, Josef. Dějiny východních Slovanů. První vydání. V Praze: Melantrich, 1947, 284 stran. URL info
Teaching methods
Seminare combined with interpretation.
Assessment methods
Written test. A commission oral exam including the material of the Bohemian and general history of the Medieval History.
Language of instruction
Czech
Teacher's information
1) Great Moravia and the first Přemyslids (9th century – 935, sources and editions)

2) Czech lands during the time of the princes (935-1198, sources and editions)

3) The last Přemyslids (13th century, sources and editions)

4) Rise of the House of Luxembourg (1306-1346, sources and editions)

5) Charles IV (1346-1378, sources and editions)

6) The last Luxembourgs and the Hussites (1378-1437, sources and editions)

7) The Age of George of Poděbrady and Jagiellonians (1437-1526, sources and editions)

8) Migration Period

9) The rise and changes of the Frankish and Eastern Roman Empires

10) Europe and islam

11) Entry of the Slavs into history

12) The long beginnings of Central Europe (Roman-German Empire, Czech lands, Poland, Hungary)

13) Investiture controversy

14) Crusades

15) Mongol invasion

16) The Long 13th century

17) Crisis of the Late Middle Ages

18) The rise of the European East

The course is also listed under the following terms Autumn 2020, Autumn 2021, Autumn 2022, Autumn 2023, Autumn 2024.
  • Enrolment Statistics (Spring 2025, recent)
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