Medieval Liège at the Crossroads of Europe: Monastic Society and Culture, 1000–1300

During the high Middle Ages, the bishopric of Liège found itself at a cultural crossroads between the German Empire and the French lordships. The Liègeois themselves argued that Gaul considers us its most distant inhabitants, Germany as nearby citizens. In fact we are neither, but both at the same time, and the same idea echoes in the work of present-day historians who have described Liège as an interesting point de rencontre et pénétration de deux grandes civilisations. Medieval monastic communities in Liège were key sites of this interpenetration, actively participating in the cultural developments, social networks, and political structures of both regions.

Bringing together the work of international scholars, this collection of essays addresses the problem of monastic identity and its formation in a region that was geographically wedged between two complex and competing socio-political powers. It investigates how monastic communities negotiated the uncertainties of this situation, while also capitalizing on the opportunities it presented. As such, this book sheds light on the agency of monastic identity formation in a small but complex region at the crossroads of two power blocks.