CEU Electronic Theses and Dissertations, 2018
| Author | Ferenczi, Laszlo |
|---|---|
| Title | Management of Monastic Landscapes. A Spatial Analysis of the Economy of Cistercian Monasteries in Medieval Hungary. |
| Summary | This thesis aimed at studying the economy of Cistercian abbeys in Hungary, demonstrating the potentials of topographical research, combining different types of sources and applying a comparative methodology. A topographical and comparative approach has been warranted by both the need to surmount the difficulties raised by the scarcity of archival records, and to contribute to a more nuanced interpretation of Cistercian economic practices on a regional basis – in this case, Central Eastern Europe. By focusing on the study of local archives concerning a selection of Hungarian Cistercian estates, the thesis intentionally distanced itself from the generalizations concerning a uniform Cistercian model on the one hand – as has been criticized by many scholars like Isabel Alfonso, Werner Rösener and Emilia Jamroziak – and on the other hand from the traditional debate on “ideals” versus “reality”, which entails a predisposition on emphasizing decline not only chronologically, but also in connection to the spread of this model into different regions – instead of adaptation and diversity. In doing so, the thesis generally advocates a practical, functional viewpoint on Cistercian economy, contesting the views of religious and cultural history, which tend to overemphasize deviation from the norms. |
| Supervisor | József Laszlovszky |
| Department | Medieval Studies PhD |
| Full text | https://www.etd.ceu.edu/2018/ferenczi_laszlo.pdf |
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