Conference Presentations by Anna Gutgarts
The landscape of Jerusalem has been shaped across centuries by the religious, cultural, and socia... more The landscape of Jerusalem has been shaped across centuries by the religious, cultural, and social inclinations of its diverse conquerors. With each attempt to recast the cityscape according to changing devotional and symbolic perceptions, new traditions and monuments emerged, often at the expense of others. While previously, these transitions were portrayed as swift and violent, recent scholarship underscores their gradual nature and the role of longue durée demographic and economic processes in determining the city’s appearance. This presentation aims to engage with this growing body of scholarship, focusing on a hitherto understudied aspect, namely the role of the memory of the city’s past in shaping the urban fabric during a particularly tumultuous period in its history, that is, the transition from the Early Muslim to the Crusader period. First, I will briefly examine what in my opinion constitutes the most dramatic feature of the urban transformation of Jerusalem after the Crusader conquest of 1099: the formation of a West East axis connecting between the city’s main religious shrines. Second, I will demonstrate how this process entailed a complex dialogue with different aspects of the city’s past. In doing so, I will return to past debates attempting to characterize Crusader Jerusalem either as a Western or an Eastern city, arguing instead that its hybridity during the Crusader period was deeply rooted in a nuanced engagement with its multifaceted past, much more complex than previously thought. This engagement extended well beyond a renewed interest in previously forsaken biblical traditions and ventured into examinations of the Muslim and Roman influences on the cityscape. This examination suggests that the engagement of medieval Latin authors with the city’s past, beyond merely affirming Christian traditions or their predominance over their Muslim, Jewish or Pagan counterparts, actively incorporated diverse historical strata into what scholars have termed "memoryscapes". By integrating non-Christian traditions, these authors sought to bolster Jerusalem's significance and grandeur as the capital of the newly established Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem.
The Crusader conquest of Jerusalem in 1099 prompted a profound transformation of the cityscape an... more The Crusader conquest of Jerusalem in 1099 prompted a profound transformation of the cityscape and urban fabric in the following years. The proclaimed goal of this transformation was to rebrand the city as the Christian capital of the newly established Latin Kingdom, yet it was also necessary in order to revitalize an urban environment that significantly deteriorated during the decades before the Crusader conquest. While the symbolic and religious aspects of the changes introduced to the urban fabric in order to provide a suitable setting for Christian liturgical rites, pilgrimage, and devotional practices received considerable scholarly attention, their ramifications on the lived spaces and day-to-day interactions of the city's inhabitants remain outside the scope of most studies. It is the purpose of this paper to discuss the intersection between these two facets of the urban landscape in Frankish Jerusalem through the example of some of the city's main thoroughfares. I will analyze how a shift in the city's symbolic and religious centers of gravity influenced changes in settlement patterns, commercial and public areas, as well as spatial representations of lay power.
The arrival of the Crusaders to Jerusalem and the conquest of the city in 1099, marked the culmin... more The arrival of the Crusaders to Jerusalem and the conquest of the city in 1099, marked the culmination of their journey, so much so that many of the chroniclers narrating the events found themselves at a loss of suitable words to describe the heavenly city. Instead, they reverted to the familiar vocabulary of biblical narratives, imbuing them with a new eschatological meaning. This highly eschatological tone was even further augmented by the chroniclers’ laments at the harsh conditions around the city before and during the siege, and the ensuing distress experienced by the Crusading troops. Yet a closer examination of the manuscript and textual tradition of some of these early descriptions, reveals their evolution during the twelfth century.
This evolution was marked by increasing interest and acquaintance with earlier sources concerning diverse traditions associated with Jerusalem (Christian, Jewish, and Muslim alike) and a skillful integration of this rediscovered past into the city’s developing and changing topography. However, these depictions also drew on the rich and rapidly evolving tradition of urban panegyrics and city laments, whose popularity increased during that same period.
The proposed paper will analyze the transformation of the content and role of Jerusalem’s descriptions against the backdrop of this complex literary and cultural milieu, focusing primarily on the variations of the chronicle of Fulcher of Chartres. Through a close inspection of the different versions of this text, this paper will tease out the changes in its function and audiences in the local contexts of Frankish Jerusalem. Yet additionally, I will argue that the manuscript tradition of these variations is equally important in shedding light on how these descriptions were read and perceived in different contexts and later periods, especially that of the Second Crusade.
![Research paper thumbnail of Demography, Trust, and Urban Environment in the Transition from Muslim to Christian Rule in Medieval Mediterranean Cities [in Hebrew]](https://attachments.academia-assets.com/112004667/thumbnails/1.jpg)
במהלך המאות ה-11 וה-12 המרחב הים תיכוני עבר שינוי מקיף עם התפשטותה המחודשת של הנצרות באזורים שנשל... more במהלך המאות ה-11 וה-12 המרחב הים תיכוני עבר שינוי מקיף עם התפשטותה המחודשת של הנצרות באזורים שנשלטו קודם לכן על ידי מוסלמים, דוגמת חצי האי האיברי, הלבנט וסיציליה ודרום איטליה הנורמנית. שינויים אלה השפיעו עמוקות על הערים באותם אזורים. לצד החותם המובהק שהותירו מעברי שלטון אלה על האדריכלות המונומנטלית, נודעה להם השפעה מרחיקת לכת על ההרכב הדמוגרפי ועל התצורות הכלכליות, החברתיות והמוסדיות שצמחו בערים אלה. למרות ריבוי המחקרים העוסקים בתרבויות העירוניות של כל אחד משלושת האזורים הנזכרים לעיל, ישנו עדיין מחסור במחקרים השוואתיים הבוחנים את הדינמיקה שבין חברה עירונית למרחב אותו היא אכלסה באותם אזורים, כתופעה בפני עצמה.
הרצאתי תתמקד במספר מקרי בוחן בלבנט הפרנקי, סיציליה, וחצי האי האיברי, שכתוצאה מחילופי שלטון כאלה עברו שינוי דמוגרפי, על מנת להבין כיצד הונעו תהליכי אכלוס מחדש ומה היו המנגנונים עליהם נשענו. המדיניות של שליטים נוצרים כלפי אוכלוסיות מקומיות בערים אלו הניבה אסטרטגיות מגוונות של יישוב מחדש, שנעו בין העברת אוכלוסיות בכפייה, לבין פריווילגיות מרחיקות לכת שנועדו למשוך מתיישבים. התמהיל המגוון מבחינה אתנית, דתית ותרבותית שנוצר כתוצאה מכך, העמיד את המנגנונים העירוניים בפני האתגר של בניית אמון הדדי בין התושבים, שהיה דרוש לשם המרצת הכלכלה העירונית, ולשם ניהול החיים בעיר.
לפרקטיקות אלה של יישוב מחדש ובניית אמון הדדי, נודעה השפעה מרחיקת לכת על המרחבים העירוניים באזורים הנידונים. בהרצאתי אבקש לבחון אסטרטגיות יישוב מחדש בערים כמו ירושלים, טולדו, פלרמו ועוד, שעברו משליטה מוסלמית לנוצרית במאה ה-11. לאחר מכן אבקש לטעון כי אסטרטגיות ראשוניות אלה השפיעו על מנגנוני בניית אמון הדדי בקרב מתיישבי הערים לאחר השינוי הדמוגרפי שהן עברו, ומנגנונים אלה בתורם, עמדו בזיקה הדוקה להתפתחות ועיצוב המרחב העירוני המתחדש. דרך מושג האמון כפי שהתגבש בהיסטוריוגרפיה העדכנית של מנגנונים כלכליים וחברתיים בימי הביניים, והזיקה שלו למרחב עירוני, אבקש להציע מסגרת חדשה להתבוננות בסביבות עירוניות בים התיכון במעבר בין שלטון מוסלמי לנוצרי.
The tension between an increasingly globalized world system, and the backlash that we have witnes... more The tension between an increasingly globalized world system, and the backlash that we have witnessed in recent years, as climate crisis, disease and economic instability have brought to the surface strong opposition and criticism towards globalization, seem to us as unique traits of our times. In historical research a reflection on these processes and their historical antecedents brought about the concept of world and then global history – a study of world encompassing systems and entanglements that would break away from former traditional patterns that has been gaining traction in recent years. For historians of the Middle Ages, accustomed by the long-standing traditions of their field to focus primarily on western Europe and Christianity, these ideas posed particular challenges that have stirred lively debate over the course of the past few years.
The Crusades provide an especially fruitful ground for the discussion of the global turn in the study of medieval history in that the first Crusade marks a watershed moment in the history of the Mediterranean, one which for the first time in centuries brought its eastern and western spheres into much closer contact. Moreover, the first crusade harbingered not only a new stage in Christian-Muslim and Jewish relations, but also formed a bridge between Europe, Asia and Africa. The new Mediterranean order that emerged as a result was characterized by increased connectivity and cross-cultural as well as cross-religious pollination.
While these aspects of Crusades’ history have been thoroughly investigated, quite surprisingly, the Crusades remained largely overlooked in current discussions of the global Middle Ages.
It is therefore the goal of the present paper to integrate the history of the Crusades and the Latin East into this discourse, using the prism of Crusader Jerusalem and the urban transformation of the city following the Crusader conquest, as its point of departure.
Texts related to the Crusades were often copied alongside one another, forming distinct manuscrip... more Texts related to the Crusades were often copied alongside one another, forming distinct manuscript traditions. While the thematic and ideological proximity of these texts seems to provide a sufficient explanation for collating them together, a closer examination of the broader codicological context of such manuscripts reveals a more nuanced picture. Careful editorial choices aimed to convey meaningful messages not just through the content of each text, but also by means of the lineup of texts held in a manuscript. This paper demonstrates this by examining a group of 12th-century manuscripts combining texts related to the First and Second Crusade. I argue that the intricate messages of these texts can be better understood when analyzed in the context of the textual tradition of urban panegyric, which proliferated in the changing world of the Medieval Mediterranean.
The Crusader period is considered to be a distinct phase in Jerusalem’s history, one that stands ... more The Crusader period is considered to be a distinct phase in Jerusalem’s history, one that stands out in an otherwise long continuum of Muslim rule. The revival of the city as a Christian center was indeed short-lived, but its brevity stands in stark contrast to its lasting impact on the cityscape. The historiography was therefore divided between the premise that the Crusader city morphologically, if not functionally, maintained its Muslim heritage and the alternative view that emphasized its transformation. Both these perceptions highlight, albeit differently, the city’s major monuments, and are inspired to some extent by the classical yet outdated categorization of eastern vs. western cities. This paper aims to address the question of continuity and change from a previously neglected point of view, that highlights a process of gradual change in the urban fabric, rather than a monolithic and monumental image of “Crusader Jerusalem”. This approach tackles the question of “The Jerusalem that the Crusaders Captured” and the encounter with the real (rather than ideal) city, from a fresh perspective, taking into account newly found evidence concerning the city’s history in the century before the conquest. Additionally, it traces how gradual changes in the cityscape corresponded with the city’s immediate past, and at the same time accommodated the new and different symbolic, cultural, and liturgical needs of the Latin settlers. Finally, the paper will examine the link between these transformations and the relationships formed with local Christian communities that resided in Jerusalem prior to the crusader conquest.
The conquest of Jerusalem in 1099 marked a turning point in the Christian perception of the cours... more The conquest of Jerusalem in 1099 marked a turning point in the Christian perception of the course of history, as the heavenly city turned overnight into an earthly city that in many ways did not necessarily meet the Crusaders' elevated expectations. This paper analyzes the ways in which the first encounter with Jerusalem was registered in the chronicles of the first Crusade, using it as a prism to observe a gradual coming to terms with the shift in apocalyptic expectations that was required after 1099. It particularly focuses on the Gesta Francorum Iherusalem expugnantium, Fulcher of Chartres, Robert the Monk and Balderic of Bourgueil. An analysis of the manuscript traditions of these texts and their dissemination, sheds new light on the sophisticated ways in which descriptions of Jerusalem were integrated into compilations of Crusade related texts. This analysis provides further insights on the diverse audiences of Crusade narratives, and the changes in the rhetorical purposes of such descriptions over time.
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Conference Presentations by Anna Gutgarts
This evolution was marked by increasing interest and acquaintance with earlier sources concerning diverse traditions associated with Jerusalem (Christian, Jewish, and Muslim alike) and a skillful integration of this rediscovered past into the city’s developing and changing topography. However, these depictions also drew on the rich and rapidly evolving tradition of urban panegyrics and city laments, whose popularity increased during that same period.
The proposed paper will analyze the transformation of the content and role of Jerusalem’s descriptions against the backdrop of this complex literary and cultural milieu, focusing primarily on the variations of the chronicle of Fulcher of Chartres. Through a close inspection of the different versions of this text, this paper will tease out the changes in its function and audiences in the local contexts of Frankish Jerusalem. Yet additionally, I will argue that the manuscript tradition of these variations is equally important in shedding light on how these descriptions were read and perceived in different contexts and later periods, especially that of the Second Crusade.
הרצאתי תתמקד במספר מקרי בוחן בלבנט הפרנקי, סיציליה, וחצי האי האיברי, שכתוצאה מחילופי שלטון כאלה עברו שינוי דמוגרפי, על מנת להבין כיצד הונעו תהליכי אכלוס מחדש ומה היו המנגנונים עליהם נשענו. המדיניות של שליטים נוצרים כלפי אוכלוסיות מקומיות בערים אלו הניבה אסטרטגיות מגוונות של יישוב מחדש, שנעו בין העברת אוכלוסיות בכפייה, לבין פריווילגיות מרחיקות לכת שנועדו למשוך מתיישבים. התמהיל המגוון מבחינה אתנית, דתית ותרבותית שנוצר כתוצאה מכך, העמיד את המנגנונים העירוניים בפני האתגר של בניית אמון הדדי בין התושבים, שהיה דרוש לשם המרצת הכלכלה העירונית, ולשם ניהול החיים בעיר.
לפרקטיקות אלה של יישוב מחדש ובניית אמון הדדי, נודעה השפעה מרחיקת לכת על המרחבים העירוניים באזורים הנידונים. בהרצאתי אבקש לבחון אסטרטגיות יישוב מחדש בערים כמו ירושלים, טולדו, פלרמו ועוד, שעברו משליטה מוסלמית לנוצרית במאה ה-11. לאחר מכן אבקש לטעון כי אסטרטגיות ראשוניות אלה השפיעו על מנגנוני בניית אמון הדדי בקרב מתיישבי הערים לאחר השינוי הדמוגרפי שהן עברו, ומנגנונים אלה בתורם, עמדו בזיקה הדוקה להתפתחות ועיצוב המרחב העירוני המתחדש. דרך מושג האמון כפי שהתגבש בהיסטוריוגרפיה העדכנית של מנגנונים כלכליים וחברתיים בימי הביניים, והזיקה שלו למרחב עירוני, אבקש להציע מסגרת חדשה להתבוננות בסביבות עירוניות בים התיכון במעבר בין שלטון מוסלמי לנוצרי.
The Crusades provide an especially fruitful ground for the discussion of the global turn in the study of medieval history in that the first Crusade marks a watershed moment in the history of the Mediterranean, one which for the first time in centuries brought its eastern and western spheres into much closer contact. Moreover, the first crusade harbingered not only a new stage in Christian-Muslim and Jewish relations, but also formed a bridge between Europe, Asia and Africa. The new Mediterranean order that emerged as a result was characterized by increased connectivity and cross-cultural as well as cross-religious pollination.
While these aspects of Crusades’ history have been thoroughly investigated, quite surprisingly, the Crusades remained largely overlooked in current discussions of the global Middle Ages.
It is therefore the goal of the present paper to integrate the history of the Crusades and the Latin East into this discourse, using the prism of Crusader Jerusalem and the urban transformation of the city following the Crusader conquest, as its point of departure.
This evolution was marked by increasing interest and acquaintance with earlier sources concerning diverse traditions associated with Jerusalem (Christian, Jewish, and Muslim alike) and a skillful integration of this rediscovered past into the city’s developing and changing topography. However, these depictions also drew on the rich and rapidly evolving tradition of urban panegyrics and city laments, whose popularity increased during that same period.
The proposed paper will analyze the transformation of the content and role of Jerusalem’s descriptions against the backdrop of this complex literary and cultural milieu, focusing primarily on the variations of the chronicle of Fulcher of Chartres. Through a close inspection of the different versions of this text, this paper will tease out the changes in its function and audiences in the local contexts of Frankish Jerusalem. Yet additionally, I will argue that the manuscript tradition of these variations is equally important in shedding light on how these descriptions were read and perceived in different contexts and later periods, especially that of the Second Crusade.
הרצאתי תתמקד במספר מקרי בוחן בלבנט הפרנקי, סיציליה, וחצי האי האיברי, שכתוצאה מחילופי שלטון כאלה עברו שינוי דמוגרפי, על מנת להבין כיצד הונעו תהליכי אכלוס מחדש ומה היו המנגנונים עליהם נשענו. המדיניות של שליטים נוצרים כלפי אוכלוסיות מקומיות בערים אלו הניבה אסטרטגיות מגוונות של יישוב מחדש, שנעו בין העברת אוכלוסיות בכפייה, לבין פריווילגיות מרחיקות לכת שנועדו למשוך מתיישבים. התמהיל המגוון מבחינה אתנית, דתית ותרבותית שנוצר כתוצאה מכך, העמיד את המנגנונים העירוניים בפני האתגר של בניית אמון הדדי בין התושבים, שהיה דרוש לשם המרצת הכלכלה העירונית, ולשם ניהול החיים בעיר.
לפרקטיקות אלה של יישוב מחדש ובניית אמון הדדי, נודעה השפעה מרחיקת לכת על המרחבים העירוניים באזורים הנידונים. בהרצאתי אבקש לבחון אסטרטגיות יישוב מחדש בערים כמו ירושלים, טולדו, פלרמו ועוד, שעברו משליטה מוסלמית לנוצרית במאה ה-11. לאחר מכן אבקש לטעון כי אסטרטגיות ראשוניות אלה השפיעו על מנגנוני בניית אמון הדדי בקרב מתיישבי הערים לאחר השינוי הדמוגרפי שהן עברו, ומנגנונים אלה בתורם, עמדו בזיקה הדוקה להתפתחות ועיצוב המרחב העירוני המתחדש. דרך מושג האמון כפי שהתגבש בהיסטוריוגרפיה העדכנית של מנגנונים כלכליים וחברתיים בימי הביניים, והזיקה שלו למרחב עירוני, אבקש להציע מסגרת חדשה להתבוננות בסביבות עירוניות בים התיכון במעבר בין שלטון מוסלמי לנוצרי.
The Crusades provide an especially fruitful ground for the discussion of the global turn in the study of medieval history in that the first Crusade marks a watershed moment in the history of the Mediterranean, one which for the first time in centuries brought its eastern and western spheres into much closer contact. Moreover, the first crusade harbingered not only a new stage in Christian-Muslim and Jewish relations, but also formed a bridge between Europe, Asia and Africa. The new Mediterranean order that emerged as a result was characterized by increased connectivity and cross-cultural as well as cross-religious pollination.
While these aspects of Crusades’ history have been thoroughly investigated, quite surprisingly, the Crusades remained largely overlooked in current discussions of the global Middle Ages.
It is therefore the goal of the present paper to integrate the history of the Crusades and the Latin East into this discourse, using the prism of Crusader Jerusalem and the urban transformation of the city following the Crusader conquest, as its point of departure.
All charters are rendered in English, in the hope that it will be useful to university teachers who want to introduce students to this extremely valuable range of medieval sources.
All charters are rendered in English, in the hope that it will be useful to university teachers who want to introduce students to this extremely valuable range of medieval sources.