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Mihai Dragnea

Universitetet i Sørøst-Norge / University of South-Eastern Norway, School of Business, Department of Business, History and Social Sciences, Associate researcher

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PhD in Medieval History, President of the Balkan History Association and Editor in Chief of Hiperboreea Journal, contributor for the International Medieval Bibliography and the International Bibliography of Humanism and the Renaissance, published by Brepols and coordinated by the Institute for Medieval Studies (University of Leeds).

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The University of Texas at Austin

University of St Andrews

Emir O. Filipović

University of Sarajevo, Faculty of Philosophy

Michael Strmiska

SUNY: Orange County Community College

Alejandra B Osorio

Wellesley College

Armando Marques-Guedes

UNL - New University of Lisbon

University of Florida

Kristian Kristiansen

University of Gothenburg

University of Chicago

Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznań

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Papers by Mihai Dragnea

A response to a book review of Mihai Dragnea’s 'Christian Identity Formation Across the Elbe in the Tenth and Eleventh Centuries' (New York: Peter Lang 2021), written by Kurt V. Jensen for 'Crusades' 21/1 (2022)

SAMAI, 2024

The response was included in Studia Antiquitatis et Medii Aevi Incohantis (SAMAI) 9 (2024): 189-1... more

Constructing ideas of being pagan in Eastern Saxony in relation to rebellion and apostasy beyond the Elbe (10th-11th centuries)

Constantine’s Letters, 2024

This article argues that the making of a pagan identity in eastern Saxony during the Ottonian era... more This article argues that the making of a pagan identity in eastern Saxony during the Ottonian era and even after it relied on biblical concepts such as rebellion and apostasy, which were connected in the minds of medieval Christian clerics. It shows that disobedience, considered a sin, and thus an evil thing, was their source, and not necessarily or exclusively pre-Christian beliefs. Paganism during the Early Middle Ages should not be associated with modern paganism, which originates in the nineteenth-century ethno-romanticism. This approach does not exclude the existence of archaic beliefs and rituals, but rather diminishes their importance in the definition of paganism. Medieval paganism should be understood rather as a literary construction, strongly influenced by theology. Furthermore, the connection between disobedience, rebellion, and apostasy functioned as a literary device for the purpose of justifying the punitive campaigns against a wide range of rebels, who rejected everything that involved ecclesiastical authority.

Conquest, holy war, and crusade. The plan of the military campaign against the Slavs. A new interpretation of the so-called Magdeburg Letter of 1108

Slavia Antiqua, 2024

In the early twelfth century, it was possible to justify (morally and legally) the conquest of a ... more In the early twelfth century, it was possible to justify (morally and legally) the conquest of a neighbouring non-Christian territory using theological arguments from the Bible and Christian authors, including various narratives about the torture and suffering of Christians. Such conflicts were legitimised as holy wars fought for defensive purposes. This study will show that waging war against the neighbours, seen as “enemies of Christ”, was quickly associated with a crusade, and conveyed through preaching. The plan is included in the Magdeburg charter. The document believed to have been written in 1108 emphasizes the reconquest of a lost territory which previously held an ecclesiastical organization. The repercussions of the conquest of the Holy Land could be felt in Magdeburg. The event became a flexible model which could have been adapted according to the regional interests.

Emotional Memory and Religious Identity in the Saxon Marches (10th -11th centuries)

Czech Historical Review, 2024

This paper examines the connection of memories to emotions as they were transmitted by chronicler... more This paper examines the connection of memories to emotions as they were transmitted by chroniclers through narratives. Emotional memories played a significant role in the recollection of some brutal events connected to ecclesiastical policies in eastern Saxony and across the Elbe, where the so-called Wends lived. The paper focuses on the interactions of cognition and emotion. It shows that emotional memories were not only rhetorical devices, but also didactic tools in the process of creation of Wendish idolatry as a Christian construct of a socioreligious identity. Certain negative events from the past placed within theological frameworks were intended to provoke hostile emotional responses towards the Wends. Preserving memory on ecclesiastical matters, with faith and obedience as central elements of identification, was an ethical mission of all those in charge of writing history, usually clergymen.

Aspects of Islamic Radicalization in the Balkans After the Fall of Communism

Peter Lang , 2023

The volume explores the channels through which Islamic fundamentalism has spread among Muslims in... more

Shaping Religious Identity on the Northern Edge of the Christianitas: Portraits of Pagans and Idolaters in the Twelfth Century Pomerania

Edinost in dialog (“Unity and Dialogue”), 2021

This study analyses the image of pagans and paganism in Pomerania during the first half of the tw... more This study analyses the image of pagans and paganism in Pomerania during the first half of the twelfth century. It also analyses the relationship with idolatry known since early Christianity. The conversion of Pomeranians to Christianity took place by giving up the worship of idols and submission to the Christian faith. It was the obedience to the German ecclesiastical authorities and the Polish duke that caused the Pomeranians to be regarded as real Christians. This study shows that Pomeranian paganism appears as a Christian construct of a socio-religious identity, created to be an antithesis to Christianity.

Legitimate and Illegitimate Divination in Medieval Writings

Croatica Christiana Periodica, 2022

This article analyzes the characteristics of divination since early Christianity, canonical regul... more This article analyzes the characteristics of divination since early Christianity, canonical regulations on the practice, and the arguments for which it was condemned by the theologians. It will also analyze the semantic ambivalence of medieval vocabulary in relation to divinatory practices. Since only God’s prophetic power was allowed, all types of prognostication of the future without His approval were considered false and illegitimate. What this article will show is that from the early Middle Ages onwards, divination was distinguished by other prognostic methods through the nature of the divine messages and human reasoning. https://hrcak.srce.hr/en/file/398419

Mobility, settlement and colonization on Rügen in the second half of the twelfth century

Slovanský přehled (Slavonic Review), 2022

Mobility, settlement and colonization on Rügen in the second half of the twelfth century This stu... more Mobility, settlement and colonization on Rügen in the second half of the twelfth century This study is about group migration to Rügen as a social, cultural, and political phenomenon in the second half of the 12th century. Migration refers to the mobility of people in a broader sense, that is their settlement in a new territory and the colonization of small distinct groups. Based on the information from the narrative sources, the political context in which the migration took place was analyzed. Records of migration in general, and colonization in particular, have been highlighted and discussed in connection to the Danish conquest. The categories of migrants and colonists, the length of stay, the settlement diversity and the causes of migration were identified.

The Saxon Expeditions against the Wends and the Foundation of Magdeburg during Otto I’s Reign

The Romanian Journal for Baltic and Nordic Studies

During the Middle Ages, rulers from different regions in Europe aspired to an idea of imperial he... more During the Middle Ages, rulers from different regions in Europe aspired to an idea of imperial hegemony over a territory. On the other hand, there were rulers who deliberately refused to be elected as emperors, although their reign showed some characteristics of imperial rule. This essay ask for the reasons why some rulers such as Otto I strove for an imperial agenda and how the expeditions of his margraves across Elbe were legitimized by contemporary writers. According to the idea of universal expansion including both Christians and pagans from all over the world, the Ottonian kingdom became an empire, an intrinsically Christian one, however, which followed the Carolingian model.

Expanding the crusading ideal on the eastern shore of the Baltic

The Wendish Crusade, 1147, 2019

Crusade ideology in northern Europe and Bernard of Clairvaux

The Wendish Crusade, 1147, 2019

Cruciada Albigensă Şi Apariţia Inchiziţiei. Consideraţii Istorice

Statutul femeii în Letopisețul lui Ion Neculce

Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication Between Germans and Wends in the Second Half of the Tenth CENTURY1*

This study has provided a brief analysis of the linguistic interactions and verbal communication ... more This study has provided a brief analysis of the linguistic interactions and verbal communication between Germans and Wends. What we noticed is that there is no Slavic language which has been unaffected by political and social influences from other dominant cultures. In the second half of the tenth century, cultural identity was linked more with political alliances than with language. Learning of German was a political reality which varied according to time and context. In order to maintain good relations with the Saxon nobility, the Wendish elites needed to know German. This would have ensured a direct, unambiguous communication. Translators could interfere with the messages and generate conflicts. Some of the Wendish elites could have known Latin as well. As tributaries of Saxon margraves and dukes, they could have signed documents regarding their obligations. Therefore, a sort of ethnic consciousness was more developed among the Wendish upper classes than lower class.

Kingship and Justice in the Ottonian Empire. By Laura E. Wangerin. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2019. Pp. xiv + 229. Cloth $75.00. ISBN 978-0472131396

Central European History, 2021

Crusade and Colonization in the Wendish Territories in the Early Twelfth Century: An Analysis of the So-called Magdeburg Letter of 1108

Mediaevalia, 2021

Abstract:This study will consider the colonization process during the twelfth century in a new, p... more Abstract:This study will consider the colonization process during the twelfth century in a new, previously undiscussed context. A frontier movement, involving expansion into and colonization of Wendish territories that had been little developed in terms of infrastructure in earlier times was accompanied by an intensification of crusading ideas from much more developed regions. This study deals with the German eastward expansion and colonization (in both theory and practice) across the Elbe in the twelfth century under the shadow of crusading ideology, as reflected in the so-called Magdeburg Letter of 1108. It also emphasizes lay colonization as one of the main factors in the process of the Europeanization of the Wends.

Shaping Religious Identity on the Northern Edge of the Christianitas: Portraits of Pagans and Idolaters in the Twelfth Century Pomerania

Edinost in dialog

The conquest of a pagan territory blessed by the Church

Forced conversion and the new canon law (ius novum)

The Wendish Crusade, 1147, 2019

The Romance-Speaking Balkans

A response to a book review of Mihai Dragnea’s 'Christian Identity Formation Across the Elbe in the Tenth and Eleventh Centuries' (New York: Peter Lang 2021), written by Kurt V. Jensen for 'Crusades' 21/1 (2022)

SAMAI, 2024

The response was included in Studia Antiquitatis et Medii Aevi Incohantis (SAMAI) 9 (2024): 189-1... more

Constructing ideas of being pagan in Eastern Saxony in relation to rebellion and apostasy beyond the Elbe (10th-11th centuries)

Constantine’s Letters, 2024

This article argues that the making of a pagan identity in eastern Saxony during the Ottonian era... more This article argues that the making of a pagan identity in eastern Saxony during the Ottonian era and even after it relied on biblical concepts such as rebellion and apostasy, which were connected in the minds of medieval Christian clerics. It shows that disobedience, considered a sin, and thus an evil thing, was their source, and not necessarily or exclusively pre-Christian beliefs. Paganism during the Early Middle Ages should not be associated with modern paganism, which originates in the nineteenth-century ethno-romanticism. This approach does not exclude the existence of archaic beliefs and rituals, but rather diminishes their importance in the definition of paganism. Medieval paganism should be understood rather as a literary construction, strongly influenced by theology. Furthermore, the connection between disobedience, rebellion, and apostasy functioned as a literary device for the purpose of justifying the punitive campaigns against a wide range of rebels, who rejected everything that involved ecclesiastical authority.

Conquest, holy war, and crusade. The plan of the military campaign against the Slavs. A new interpretation of the so-called Magdeburg Letter of 1108

Slavia Antiqua, 2024

In the early twelfth century, it was possible to justify (morally and legally) the conquest of a ... more In the early twelfth century, it was possible to justify (morally and legally) the conquest of a neighbouring non-Christian territory using theological arguments from the Bible and Christian authors, including various narratives about the torture and suffering of Christians. Such conflicts were legitimised as holy wars fought for defensive purposes. This study will show that waging war against the neighbours, seen as “enemies of Christ”, was quickly associated with a crusade, and conveyed through preaching. The plan is included in the Magdeburg charter. The document believed to have been written in 1108 emphasizes the reconquest of a lost territory which previously held an ecclesiastical organization. The repercussions of the conquest of the Holy Land could be felt in Magdeburg. The event became a flexible model which could have been adapted according to the regional interests.

Emotional Memory and Religious Identity in the Saxon Marches (10th -11th centuries)

Czech Historical Review, 2024

This paper examines the connection of memories to emotions as they were transmitted by chronicler... more This paper examines the connection of memories to emotions as they were transmitted by chroniclers through narratives. Emotional memories played a significant role in the recollection of some brutal events connected to ecclesiastical policies in eastern Saxony and across the Elbe, where the so-called Wends lived. The paper focuses on the interactions of cognition and emotion. It shows that emotional memories were not only rhetorical devices, but also didactic tools in the process of creation of Wendish idolatry as a Christian construct of a socioreligious identity. Certain negative events from the past placed within theological frameworks were intended to provoke hostile emotional responses towards the Wends. Preserving memory on ecclesiastical matters, with faith and obedience as central elements of identification, was an ethical mission of all those in charge of writing history, usually clergymen.

Aspects of Islamic Radicalization in the Balkans After the Fall of Communism

Peter Lang , 2023

The volume explores the channels through which Islamic fundamentalism has spread among Muslims in... more

Shaping Religious Identity on the Northern Edge of the Christianitas: Portraits of Pagans and Idolaters in the Twelfth Century Pomerania

Edinost in dialog (“Unity and Dialogue”), 2021

This study analyses the image of pagans and paganism in Pomerania during the first half of the tw... more This study analyses the image of pagans and paganism in Pomerania during the first half of the twelfth century. It also analyses the relationship with idolatry known since early Christianity. The conversion of Pomeranians to Christianity took place by giving up the worship of idols and submission to the Christian faith. It was the obedience to the German ecclesiastical authorities and the Polish duke that caused the Pomeranians to be regarded as real Christians. This study shows that Pomeranian paganism appears as a Christian construct of a socio-religious identity, created to be an antithesis to Christianity.

Legitimate and Illegitimate Divination in Medieval Writings

Croatica Christiana Periodica, 2022

This article analyzes the characteristics of divination since early Christianity, canonical regul... more This article analyzes the characteristics of divination since early Christianity, canonical regulations on the practice, and the arguments for which it was condemned by the theologians. It will also analyze the semantic ambivalence of medieval vocabulary in relation to divinatory practices. Since only God’s prophetic power was allowed, all types of prognostication of the future without His approval were considered false and illegitimate. What this article will show is that from the early Middle Ages onwards, divination was distinguished by other prognostic methods through the nature of the divine messages and human reasoning. https://hrcak.srce.hr/en/file/398419

Mobility, settlement and colonization on Rügen in the second half of the twelfth century

Slovanský přehled (Slavonic Review), 2022

Mobility, settlement and colonization on Rügen in the second half of the twelfth century This stu... more Mobility, settlement and colonization on Rügen in the second half of the twelfth century This study is about group migration to Rügen as a social, cultural, and political phenomenon in the second half of the 12th century. Migration refers to the mobility of people in a broader sense, that is their settlement in a new territory and the colonization of small distinct groups. Based on the information from the narrative sources, the political context in which the migration took place was analyzed. Records of migration in general, and colonization in particular, have been highlighted and discussed in connection to the Danish conquest. The categories of migrants and colonists, the length of stay, the settlement diversity and the causes of migration were identified.

The Saxon Expeditions against the Wends and the Foundation of Magdeburg during Otto I’s Reign

The Romanian Journal for Baltic and Nordic Studies

During the Middle Ages, rulers from different regions in Europe aspired to an idea of imperial he... more During the Middle Ages, rulers from different regions in Europe aspired to an idea of imperial hegemony over a territory. On the other hand, there were rulers who deliberately refused to be elected as emperors, although their reign showed some characteristics of imperial rule. This essay ask for the reasons why some rulers such as Otto I strove for an imperial agenda and how the expeditions of his margraves across Elbe were legitimized by contemporary writers. According to the idea of universal expansion including both Christians and pagans from all over the world, the Ottonian kingdom became an empire, an intrinsically Christian one, however, which followed the Carolingian model.

Expanding the crusading ideal on the eastern shore of the Baltic

The Wendish Crusade, 1147, 2019

Crusade ideology in northern Europe and Bernard of Clairvaux

The Wendish Crusade, 1147, 2019

Cruciada Albigensă Şi Apariţia Inchiziţiei. Consideraţii Istorice

Statutul femeii în Letopisețul lui Ion Neculce

Verbal and Non-Verbal Communication Between Germans and Wends in the Second Half of the Tenth CENTURY1*

This study has provided a brief analysis of the linguistic interactions and verbal communication ... more This study has provided a brief analysis of the linguistic interactions and verbal communication between Germans and Wends. What we noticed is that there is no Slavic language which has been unaffected by political and social influences from other dominant cultures. In the second half of the tenth century, cultural identity was linked more with political alliances than with language. Learning of German was a political reality which varied according to time and context. In order to maintain good relations with the Saxon nobility, the Wendish elites needed to know German. This would have ensured a direct, unambiguous communication. Translators could interfere with the messages and generate conflicts. Some of the Wendish elites could have known Latin as well. As tributaries of Saxon margraves and dukes, they could have signed documents regarding their obligations. Therefore, a sort of ethnic consciousness was more developed among the Wendish upper classes than lower class.

Kingship and Justice in the Ottonian Empire. By Laura E. Wangerin. Ann Arbor: University of Michigan Press, 2019. Pp. xiv + 229. Cloth $75.00. ISBN 978-0472131396

Central European History, 2021

Crusade and Colonization in the Wendish Territories in the Early Twelfth Century: An Analysis of the So-called Magdeburg Letter of 1108

Mediaevalia, 2021

Abstract:This study will consider the colonization process during the twelfth century in a new, p... more Abstract:This study will consider the colonization process during the twelfth century in a new, previously undiscussed context. A frontier movement, involving expansion into and colonization of Wendish territories that had been little developed in terms of infrastructure in earlier times was accompanied by an intensification of crusading ideas from much more developed regions. This study deals with the German eastward expansion and colonization (in both theory and practice) across the Elbe in the twelfth century under the shadow of crusading ideology, as reflected in the so-called Magdeburg Letter of 1108. It also emphasizes lay colonization as one of the main factors in the process of the Europeanization of the Wends.

Shaping Religious Identity on the Northern Edge of the Christianitas: Portraits of Pagans and Idolaters in the Twelfth Century Pomerania

Edinost in dialog

The conquest of a pagan territory blessed by the Church

Forced conversion and the new canon law (ius novum)

The Wendish Crusade, 1147, 2019

The Romance-Speaking Balkans

Summary of the International Conference "History, Culture and Research III" (Deva, 1-2 Nov. 2019)

by Mihai Dragnea and Dumitru-Cătălin ROGOJANU

Istorie, Cultură și Cercetare, vol. III, 2019

The Museum of Dacian and Roman Civilization in Deva, in collaboration with the Balkan History Ass... more The Museum of Dacian and Roman Civilization in Deva, in collaboration with the Balkan History Association, is organizing the 3rd annual International Conference on History, Culture and Research, which will take place in Deva on 1-2 November 2019.

ORGANIZING COMMITTEE
Manager MCDR – Liliana Țolaș
C.S.I dr. habil. Gherghina Boda
C.S.III dr. habil. Dumitru-Cătălin Rogojanu
Dr. Mihai Dragnea

4th International Trakya Accounting Finance Auditing Conference

More details at https://4thtrakyaaccfinaud.trakya.edu.tr/

International Conference on History, Culture and Research

Deva, Romania ENGLISH VERSION BELOW Muzeul Civilizației Dacice și Romane Deva, în parteneriat cu ... more

Wallachian mobility and settlement along the Carpathian arc

Islamic Culture and Pre-Islamic Beliefs in Central Asia (Lexington, 2024)

by Mihai Dragnea, Venera Mustafayeva, Feruz Subkhonov, Dolunay Baltürk, and Gulzira Kdirbaeva

Lexington, 2024

The volume "Islamic Culture and Pre-Islamic Beliefs in Central Asia" published by Lexington in Se... more The volume "Islamic Culture and Pre-Islamic Beliefs in Central Asia" published by Lexington in September 2024, which is a project initiated by the Balkan History Association, focuses on Islamic culture, traditions, and pre-Islamic beliefs in Central Asia. The chapters emphasize the importance of religious life, the significance of certain “sacred places,” and their role in the socio-spiritual life. The volume includes research spanning a period from antiquity to the Post-Soviet era to explore how landscapes of religious places and practices were interpreted and reinterpreted through time. Two of the three editors (Mihai Dragnea and Dorina Dragnea) and two authors (Venera Mustafayeva and Dareg Zabarah-Chulak) are members of the Association.

This volume promotes the history and culture of Central Asia among the Balkan academics. It aims to contribute to a better understanding of the religious life, very important for the people in Central Asian states, as well as political and social issues in the region, with a focus on Islamic culture, traditions, and pre-Islamic beliefs. It also seeks to increase scientific and educational collaborations between the public and private institutions and organizations in the Balkans, and those of Uzbekistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan, and Tajikistan.

“This volume is an exciting addition to the scholarship of Central Asia. This region has provided the fulcrum between different peoples and cultures. This volume, for the first time in recent scholarship, tackles the complexity of these interactions, and in particular, the impact that beliefs had on this critical space in the ancient world. The chapters explore a range of issues from the ancient to the Soviet era and will be vital for scholars of the region.” — Tim Williams, PhD, Emeritus Professor of Silk Roads Archaeology, University College London

“This volume provides a thorough exploration of the multifaceted landscape of contemporary Central Asia. Delving into the social, cultural, linguistic, and political dimensions, the authors trace their roots from the Soviet era, through Islamic influences, and back to pre-Islamic times. With eleven meticulously crafted articles, appealing to scholars and enthusiasts keen on understanding the intricate formation of beliefs and ideologies in Central Asia and Iran, the book offers original and profound insights.” — Leila Rahimi Bahmany, PhD, Utrecht University

More details at https://rowman.com/ISBN/9781666969290/

Aspects of Islamic Radicalization in the Balkans After the Fall of Communism Aspects of Islamic Radicalization in the Balkans After the Fall of Communism

Peter Lang , 2023

The volume explores the channels through which Islamic fundamentalism has spread among Muslim pop... more

The Romance-Speaking Balkans: Language and the Politics of Identity

by Mihai Dragnea and Annemarie Sorescu-Marinkovic

Brill, 2021

The relationship between language and identity is a complex topic everywhere in the world, but ma... more The relationship between language and identity is a complex topic everywhere in the world, but maybe it is even more crucial for those people living in the Balkans who speak a Romance variety. This volume is the result of a project started by the Balkan History Association, and brings together scholars trained in social sciences and humanities to offer the reader a thorough sociolinguistic and anthropological account of this region. It constitutes a contribution to a reformulation of methodological and analytical issues, providing a better insight in the linguistic and geopolitical processes taking place in the area.

The Romance-Speaking Balkans: Language and the Politics of Identity

by Mihai Dragnea, Annemarie Sorescu-Marinkovic, and Thede Kahl

Brill, 2021

The relationship between language and identity is a complex topic everywhere in the world, but ma... more The relationship between language and identity is a complex topic everywhere in the world, but maybe it is even more crucial for those people living in the Balkans who speak a Romance variety. This volume is the result of a project started by the Balkan History Association, and brings together scholars trained in social sciences and humanities to offer the reader a thorough sociolinguistic and anthropological account of this region. It constitutes a contribution to a reformulation of methodological and analytical issues, providing a better insight in the linguistic and geopolitical processes taking place in the area. Volume Editors: Annemarie Sorescu-Marinković, Mihai Dragnea, Thede Kahl, Blagovest Njagulov, Donald L. Dyer, and Angelo Costanzo

Hiperboreea Vol. 7, No. 1, 2020

Hiperboreea focuses on the study of Southeastern Europe, broadly defined as the states situated i... more

The Wendish Crusade, 1147: The Development of Crusading Ideology in the Twelfth Century, Routledge, London, 2019

Routledge, 2019

The Wendish Crusade of 1147, one of the Northern Crusades and a part of the Second Crusade, took ... more The Wendish Crusade of 1147, one of the Northern Crusades and a part of the Second Crusade, took place at a critical phase in the evolution of crusading rhetoric. The initiators and apologists of the campaign employed rhetorical devices to justify the occupation of a region and conversion of a population under the auspices of a crusade. A detailed examination of the primary sources shows that the justification of a crusade against apostates was not only a German endeavour, or the pope’s will, but a political reality of the twelfth century. Therefore, the attitude of the papacy is shown to be reactive rather than proactive. https://www.routledge.com/The-Wendish-Crusade-1147-The-Development-of-Crusading-Ideology-in-the/Dragnea/p/book/9780367366964

Misiune şi cruciadă în teritoriul venzilor (secolul al XII-lea), Editura Etnologică, Bucureşti, 2019

Mihai Dragnea, Christian identity formation across the Elbe in the tenth and eleventh centuries (Peter Lang: New York, 2021), reviewed by Felix Biermann

Baltische Studien, 2022

"Baltische Studien. Pommersche Jahrbücher für Landesgeschichte", Vol. 108 (2022): 201-203. Source... more

Review of Mihai Dragnea, The Wendish Crusade, 1147: The Development of Crusading Ideology in the Twelfth Century

by Mihai Dragnea and Carole Cusack

Journal of Religious History, Vol. 44, Issue 4, 2020, pp.

This short book is an important contribution to accessible knowledge about the Wendish Crusade, o... more This short book is an important contribution to accessible knowledge about the Wendish Crusade, one of the less-known military and religious enterprises at the time of the Second Crusade, which was called by Pope Eugenius III to recover the city of Edessa in the Holy Land, and was promoted by the charismatic Cistercian monk, Bernard of Clairvaux. Mihai Dragnea argues the Wendish Crusade “is a significant turning point in crusading historiography” (p. 2) and the rhetoric of the campaign was as much about politics as it was about bringing the Wends back to Christendom. The “crusaders” against the Wends were Saxons: historically they were enemies since the Wends assisted the Frankish king (later emperor) Charlemagne in his brutal war of conquest and Christianisation of the Saxons from 772 to 804 CE. The “Introduction” outlines the aims of the book, which is organized in four subsequent chapters.

Book review: Mihai Dragnea, The Wendish Crusade, 1147: The Development of Crusading Ideology in the Twelfth Century (Hermann Kamp)

German Historical Institute London Bulletin, 2020

Reviewed by Hermann Kamp (University of Paderborn) in "German Historical Institute London Bulleti... more

Book review: Mihai Dragnea, Mission and Crusade in the Wendish Territory, 12th Century (Marco Cassioli)

Transylvanian Review, 2020

Reviewed by Marco Cassioli in Italian. The book was published in Romanian by Etnologică, Buchares... more