Die Grenzregion Oberlausitz war im 16. Jahrhundert von einer Vielfalt kultureller und urbaner Lebenswelten, von einer Vielzahl relevanter Akteure sowie von komplexen Herrschaftsbeziehungen (Nebenland der böhmischen Krone) geprägt und geriet erst in jüngster Zeit stärker ins Blickfeld der historischen Forschung. Aufbauend auf regional- und lokalhistorischen Arbeiten etwa zur frühneuzeitlichen Musikkultur der Oberlausitz, zur Geschichte der Sorben (man denke etwa an die Arbeiten von Friedrich Pollack oder Petr Hrachovec) und auf Grundlage eigener intensiver (Bild-)Quellenstudien argumentiert Martin Christ überzeugend, dass sich in der Oberlausitz eine Geschichte von Reformationen im Plural beobachten lasse, die sich in Bezug auf katholische und lutherische Akteure als Ausfluss synkretistischer Praktiken der bewussten Selektion und Adaption geteilter Räume, Rituale und Objekte beschreiben lassen. Synkretismus schließt Grenzziehungen durchaus ein und Konflikte nicht aus. Die vorliegende Studie zeichnet daher auch kein nostalgisches Bild toleranter Oberlausitzer Konfessionskulturen.

Elisabetta Sirani (1638-1665), a Bolognese artist, significantly contributed to the Italian protofeminist tradition through her three depictions of the classical figure Iole. These images are drastically different than other depictions of the time period because Sirani shows Iole as an isolated figure removed from her turbulent relationship with Hercules. By focusing on Iole as an individual, Sirani allowed Iole to be seen away from the male gaze; in doing so, Iole encompassed masculine characteristics while maintaining her sovereignty and femininity. Sirani's paintings of the strong and confident Iole are clear evidence that not only was Sirani inspired by the receptive environment in which she was raised, but she was also actively empowering women through her art and advancing the protofeminist tradition in early modern Italy.

Disease is not a unique or singular phenomenon. The medical literature contains multiple reports discussing disease interactions and co-occurrence which remains an important issue. Despite this, there has been no systematic investigation of disease co-occurrence in paleopathology. This thesis will begin to fill the gap by producing a detailed analysis of the pathological indicators for scurvy, rickets, and their co-occurrence, focussing on features of co-occurrence and their identification. The Collégiale Saint-Amé collection from 16th to 18th century Douai, France includes 48 individuals ranging from fetal to five years of age. Previous research indicated a large number of potential cases of scurvy and rickets in the juveniles (Devriendt et al. 2010). The current study identified 12 cases of possible co-occurrence based on macroscopic, radiographic, and microscopic techniques; biocultural and historical data supported disease presence. Macroscopic results indicate that lesions associated with scurvy are identifiable and the vascular system is not known to be directly affected by rickets. Rickets features are present but changes are subtle and reduced in prevalence. Radiographs demonstrate features of both diseases but the presence or absence of the line of Fraenkel, a scurvy feature, was useful in identifying the likely dominant disease process. Diagenetic change significantly impacted microscopic investigations but the technique provided some supporting evidence for the presence of rickets. The results clearly demonstrate that cases of co-occurrence of scurvy and rickets are present and identifiable in the archaeological record. Important factors for recognition include the sequence in which conditions develop and duration of illness. Presently only cases with moderately or better developed features of both scurvy and rickets can be identified. Use of multiple techniques was critical to observe subtle changes and build a case for disease presence. Further research on co-occurrence of any diseases is encouraged to create a fuller understanding of past disease. / Thesis / Master of Arts (MA)

The relationship between Erasmus of Rotterdam and the religious movement called the Devotio Moderna, especially the latter's relevance to Erasmian piety, has been a somewhat contentious historiographical issue. This thesis examines that relationship, and asserts that the Devotio Moderna was a crucial formative aspect of Erasmus' religiosity. However, its relevance ought not be overstated, due to the humanist's significant developments away from his spiritual forerunners.

During the rule of the house of Vasa 1523-1654, Sweden saw a vastly increased output of new government heraldry and official symbols. This thesis investigates the political motives behind the creation of these symbols and their use as propaganda tools as part of the formation of the Swedish state.  Heraldry is a well-covered topic in academia in many European countries, but in Sweden it has yet to be properly integrated into historical research. This thesis covers the bigger picture by investigating the Vasa dynasty’s heraldry in its entirety in order to follow its use over time.  The thesis analyses all grants of arms to cities and nobles, as well as new royal and provincial arms. It carries out an analysis of the arms’ composition and motif, as well as charting the political context in which they were created and their role in the formation of the modern state.  The question the thesis seeks to answer is if the Vasa dynasty used heraldry as a political propaganda tool, and if so — for what purpose. The thesis uses Jaques Ellul’s categories of propaganda as a theoretical framework.  Among the key findings is the discovery that the Vasa monarchs did treat official heraldry as an integrated part of their propaganda efforts, both in conflicts with the outside world and with each other. However, the heraldic motifs of most cities and nobles, making up the vast majority of new coats of arms, were not part of those efforts.  There was also a clear shift from the agitation propaganda during the early Vasa era, to propaganda of integration as the institutions of state took form and Sweden became a regional power.

Hypnerotomachia Poliphili is a fifteenth-century illustrated incunabulum first published in 1499 by Aldo Manuzio in Venice. It delivers the story of two lovers separated by death but united in a dream; in fact, the entire book is a complex, multi-layered dream narrative which gradually unfolds through the interaction between text and image, inviting readers to engage with its rich content in a playful manner. The envisioned “Digital Hypnerotomachia Project" (DHP) aspires to create a platform where the encoded transcriptions and facsimiles of the various early printed editions of this literary work can be comparatively viewed and where users can interact with the text by clicking on annotated words, phrases, or images that lead to associations within, between, and outside the texts; and, ultimately, where users can generate their own annotations and share them with the community of readers. The most important features of such an edition would be, in my opinion, the annotations and tags, that will become the stepping stones towards a better and deeper understanding of the texts, their socio-cultural and literary contexts, and their intertextual relationship, hopefully opening up new pathways for research.  My thesis aims at the creation of a prototype edition, for which I will focus on the first chapter of the book. The aim is to create a parallel edition that will include some of the paratexts and first chapters of the original Italian Aldine edition, the two sixteenth-century French translations, and the sixteenth-century English translation. The omissions, additions, and changes in the early modern translations of the Hypnerotomachia can be quite revealing about the ways in which the text (and its images) was received, interpreted and adapted by early modern learned audiences. Regarding the editorial process, I will move gradually from digitization and transcription to TEI:XML encoding and publication, that is, the development of a user interface, but this will not necessarily be a linear progress, as constant re-evaluation will probably lead to adjustments and reiterations. The most important stage in the editorial process will be the TEI:XML encoding, which I perceive to be an interpretative process. The resulting annotated parallel edition prototype will hopefully show the potential of this type of edition for the Hypnerotomachia Poliphili and its translations, and this pilot project may demonstrate its merits for critical comparative analyses of the work in research and in education.

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