Books by Angela Schattner
New Perspectives on the History of Sports and Motion, London: Routledge 2016 (co-edited with Ange... more New Perspectives on the History of Sports and Motion, London: Routledge 2016 (co-edited with Angela Schattner)
The book's focus is on epileptics as long-term patients and their way of coping with the social ‘... more The book's focus is on epileptics as long-term patients and their way of coping with the social ‘side effects’ of their illness in early modern Germany. Looking at epileptics from poor and wealthy backgrounds, the book traces different approaches to finding a cure and coping with different social problems as the inability to work, the need for long-term care or in some cases severe poverty. Epileptics were never alone in dealing with their circumstances but interacted with family members, medical personnel and the staff of early modern welfare institutions such as hospitals or town magistrates.
Papers by Angela Schattner
Disability Studies Quarterly, 2017
A Cultural History of Sport in the Renaissance
The Protestant Reformation had a significant impact on the perception of charity and welfare as w... more The Protestant Reformation had a significant impact on the perception of charity and welfare as well as on the practice of public welfare in German territories. Following theological and political discourses on the exclusion of unworthy poor from charity and the necessity of increased support for the worthy poor in the late Middle Ages, new poor laws were implemented by city authorities and princes from the 14th century. These poor laws listed different groups of the worthy poor, of which the bodily impaired – e.g. the blind, the deaf, the epileptic or the lame - were just one group among others. In these texts, criteria were developed that defined “worthy poor”: It included disablement or the inability to work as one criterion, but also the inability to provide for oneself through other means, for example through the support of family networks. Thus being bodily impaired in this context did not necessarily mean to be a worthy poor, but other criteria had to be met as well. At the same time, bodily impairment was not per se a criterion for disablement but the inability to work had to be proven by the petitioners. Referring to concepts developed in the Dis/ability History in accordance with Anne Waldschmidt among others, this paper is going to explore the connection between disablement and dis/ability in early modern German territories. For this purpose, the paper will focus on the wording of poor laws on the one hand, and the description of disablement and worthiness as well as expressed needs for welfare in petitions on the other hand.
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ABSTRACT
It is often assumed that a recognisably modern sporting culture did not emerge until the eighteen... more It is often assumed that a recognisably modern sporting culture did not emerge until the eighteenth century. The plethora of physical training and games that existed before 1700 tend to fall victim to rigid historical boundaries drawn between " modern " and " pre-modern " sports, which are concerned primarily with levels of regulation, organization and competitiveness. Adopting a much broader and culturally based approach, the essays in this collection offer an alternative view of sport in the early modern period. Taking into account a variety of competitive as well as non-competitive forms of sport, physical training and games, the collection situates these types of activities as institutions in their own right within the socio-cultural context of early-modern Europe. Treating the period not only as a precursor of modern developments, but as an independent and formative era, the essays engage with overlooked topics and sources such as court records, self-narratives and visual materials, and with contemporary discussions about space, gender and postcolonial studies. By allowing for this increased contextualization of sport, the collection is able to integrate it into more general historical questions and approaches. The volume underlines how developments in early modern sport influenced later developments, whilst at the same time being thoroughly shaped by contemporary notions of the body, status and honour. These notions influenced not only the contemporary sporting fashion but the adoption of sports in elite education, the use of sports facilities, training methods and modes of competition, thus offering a more integrated idea of the place of sport in early modern society.
Archiv für Reformationsgeschichte - Archive for Reformation History, 2014
By looking at sports facilities for non-professional players in England, this article explores ea... more By looking at sports facilities for non-professional players in England, this article explores early commercialization tendencies in sports that proceeded the process driven by the professionalization of sports in the eighteenth century. A growing demand for purpose-built sporting facilities gave rise to commercialized tennis courts, bowling alleys and greens in London as early as the beginning of the sixteenth century which mainly addressed upper class ‘gentlemen’. These facilities were not mere sports venues but created semi-public leisure venues where particularly men could meet outside their homes and enjoy sports, gambling, drinking and other entertainments together. They were also strongly embedded in a wider network of similar semi-public facilities such as alehouses, taverns and inns that offered multi-functional services. Taking the examples of London and Bath, the article explores the growth and organization of tennis courts, bowling alleys and greens on a local level, and how these were interlinked with other contemporary leisure and entertainment businesses.
Talks by Angela Schattner
The Protestant Reformation had a significant impact on the perception of charity and welfare as w... more The Protestant Reformation had a significant impact on the perception of charity and welfare as well as on the practice of public welfare in German territories. Following theological and political discourses on the exclusion of unworthy poor from charity and the necessity of increased support for the worthy poor in the late Middle Ages, new poor laws were implemented by city authorities and princes from the 14th century. These poor laws listed different groups of the worthy poor, of which the bodily impaired – e.g. the blind, the deaf, the epileptic or the lame - were just one group among others. In these texts, criteria were developed that defined “worthy poor”: It included disablement or the inability to work as one criterion, but also the inability to provide for oneself through other means, for example through the support of family networks. Thus being bodily impaired in this context did not necessarily mean to be a worthy poor, but other criteria had to be met as well. At the same time, bodily impairment was not per se a criterion for disablement but the inability to work had to be proven by the petitioners. Referring to concepts developed in the Dis/ability History in accordance with Anne Waldschmidt among others, this paper is going to explore the connection between disablement and dis/ability in early modern German territories. For this purpose, the paper will focus on the wording of poor laws on the one hand, and the description of disablement and worthiness as well as expressed needs for welfare in petitions on the other hand.
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Books by Angela Schattner
Papers by Angela Schattner
Talks by Angela Schattner