This is a work of real significance. By bringing together an international team of historians, this impressive study succeeds thanks to innovative and previously unapplied approaches. Using comparative methods, this volume challenges traditional views of medieval and early modern urban communities in the broader territory of Central Europe, and constitutes a great example of what scholars can achieve through international cooperation. This book will definitely serve not only as a benchmark for future research, but I also expect to find it on the reading lists for university courses on premodern urban life and culture in general. -- Jaroslav Miller, Palacký University This is a highly original approach to the rich history and culture of the towns of Central Europe and a welcome reminder that its urban landscape extended well beyond Prague, Vienna, and Buda. This collection by Kateina Horníková and her colleagues is a marvelous example of how a close reading of material culture can deepen our understanding of this critical region. -- Howard Louthan, University of Minnesota The volume, edited by Kateina Horníková, represents a new and innovative approach to the visual aspects of Central European towns in a transitory period of the later Middle Ages and the early modern area. The contributors are representatives of a new generation of Central European historians who take a fresh look on the role of images, symbolic communication, and visual representations on the urban centers of the region. This innovative collection of essays, based on strong theoretical background, will have a secure place on university reading lists and on the bookshelves of many interested students and professors. -- Balázs Nagy, Central European University This fascinating collection of essays provides a rich account of the changing character of Central European towns during the late medieval and early modern periods. Detailed exploration in each chapter of the visual culture of different towns across Bohemia and Moravia illuminates broader themes about the history of religious, social, and cultural life. The essays analyze how the identities of urban communities adapted in the face of turbulent political and religious changes. Peeling back the layers of Baroque embellishment, the contributors reveal evidence about the vibrant influence in Bohemian and Moravian towns of the Hussite, Lutheran, and Catholic churches, each leaving its own distinctive mark on the changing face of the region. -- Graeme Murdock, Trinity College Dublin
Lisainfo e-raamatute kohta