20 years of Medieval Studies at CEU

Type: 
Conference
Audience: 
Open to the Public
Friday, June 14, 2013 - 9:00am
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Date: 
Friday, June 14, 2013 - 9:00am to Saturday, June 15, 2013 - 8:00pm

After an introductory trial run in the AY 1992/3, the Department of Medieval Studies was founded in September 1993. With 402 successfully graduated MAs, 72 PhDs, and several dozens of international visiting faculty we plan to celebrate the 20th anniversary on June 14-15 of this year, after the MA defenses and the graduation.

For the celebrations we plan the following events:

- We have already written to our alumni to participate in a contest of poster presentations with the description of a successfully concluded or ongoing research project of theirs. We will select the best of these posters and make an exhibition of them during the week of June 11-17 at CEU. (We will also exhibit or project on monitors the other posters and post them in a special section of the departmental website.)

- On June 14, Friday we organize a series of round tables on New challenges to Medieval Studies. For each theme 3 alumni would be selected and they would discuss these issues with 2-3 members of our faculty. Each session would be organized by a group of our faculty (not necessary identical with those who would sit on the podium). Presently the following themes are foreseen: "Physical and Cultural Space" (Judy Rasson and Katalin Szende), "Cult of saints and other persons" (Gábor Klaniczay, Volker Menze, Marianne Sághy), "images and texts" (Gerhard Jaritz), "Byzantine & Caucasian Studies" (Niels Gaul, Volker Menze), "MADievalism - history of animals" (Alice Choyke, Gerhard Jaritz), "Early Modern Medievalisms" (Marcell Sebők, Tijana Krstic, György Endre Szőnyi). These workshop themes are still under discussion, the organizers will contact the alumni to be involved individually. The alumni selected for these discussions will have their travel and accommodation covered.

- The discussion series of 14 June would be concluded by a two-voice public lecture by Patrick Geary (Princeton, Institute for Advanced Study) and Claudia Rapp (University of Vienna) on Latin and Greek Middle Ages.

- This would be followed by a reception and a concert.

On June 15, Saturday, in the morning there would be a field-trip for viewing Hidden treasures of Budapest museums and libraries. Relying upon the cooperation of our alumni having important positions in the Museum of Fine Arts, the Museum of Applied Arts, the Széchényi National Library, and elsewhere, the celebration crowd would split into 5-6 groups for these.

- Saturday afternoon another representative public lecture is planned (the person of the speaker is still under negotiation).

- the celebrations would be accompanied by several exhibitions. Besides the above mentioned poster exhibition there would be

- a renewed version of the 2005 "Contagious Middle Ages" OSA exhibit, organized by Gábor Klaniczay

- a book-exhibit of the production of our alumni

- a display of other medieval related works (films, paintings, music, fiction, martial arts etc.) by our alumni on monitors