"State Formation in Europe, 843-1789 follows the formation and development of the European state from the division of the Carolingian Empire to the French Revolution. By observing Europe through the perspective of the rest of the world, readers gain insight into trends common to the whole Continent whilst crossing the traditional border between the middle ages and early modern period. This book is essential reading for students studying medieval and early modern political history, state formation, and Europe in a global context"--
"Christianity and European-style monarchy--the cross and the scepter--were introduced to Scandinavia in the tenth century, a development that was to have profound implications for all of Europe. Cross and Scepter is a concise history of the Scandinavian kingdoms from the age of the Vikings to the Reformation, written by Scandinavia's leading medieval historian. Sverre Bagge shows how the rise of the three kingdoms not only changed the face of Scandinavia, but also helped make the territorial state the standard political unit in Western Europe. He describes Scandinavia's momentous conversion to Christianity and the creation of church and monarchy there, and traces how these events transformed Scandinavian law and justice, military and administrative organization, social structure, political culture, and the division of power among the king, aristocracy, and common people. Bagge sheds important new light on the reception of Christianity and European learning in Scandinavia, and on Scandinavian history writing, philosophy, political thought, and courtly culture. He looks at the reception of European impulses and their adaptation to Scandinavian conditions, and examines the relationship of the three kingdoms to each other and the rest of Europe, paying special attention to the inter-Scandinavian unions and their consequences for the concept of government and the division of power. Cross and Scepter provides an essential introduction to Scandinavian medieval history for scholars and general readers alike, offering vital new insights into state formation and cultural change in Europe"--
Marc Blochs Plädoyer von 1927 für eine vergleichende Geschichte des europäischen Mittelalters war zwar unter seinen Schülern und Enkelschülern nie ganz in Vergessenheit geraten. Doch offenkundig mußte erst die westöstliche Spaltung des Kontinents im Kalten Krieg überwunden werden, damit neue, konzentrierte Anläufe zur Realisierung des umstürzenden Geschichtskonzepts möglich wurden. Der Aufgabe, die interdisziplinäre, transkulturelle und internationale Erforschung der mittelalterlichen Geschichte voranzutreiben, hat sich das "Institut für vergleichende Geschichte Europas im Mittelalter" (IVGEM) an der Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin verschrieben. Zum Einstieg in seine langfristig angelegte Arbeit diente eine Tagung in Berlin im September 1999, auf der Mediävistinnen und Mediävisten aus allen Teilen Europas, aber auch aus Israel und den USA, über Theorie, Methoden und Praxis des Vergleichs Erfahrungen, Erkenntnisse und Perspektiven austauschten. Der Sammelband bietet die Vorträge sowie ergänzende Beiträge russischer und polnischer Autorinnen und Autoren.
