Researching (late medieval) towns is a topic of genuine interdisciplinarity. The classic, but questionable incision of the year 1500 as a border between the Middle Ages and the Modern Era cannot be applied to the history of towns. With these preliminary thoughts in mind, our (post)doctoral workshop reflects the ways towns and their citizens react to the multiple factors (e.g. innovation of moveable type book printing, reactions to the Protestant Reformation) they are confronted with in the transition from the medieval to the modern world.
We are calling for papers that deal with relevant aspects like paradigm shift or persistency, change or continuity from different perspectives and establish connections to other disciplines in the humanities area. Topics of interest are a. o. questions about medial change, diversity, (re)construction of town knowledge, history of emotions or communication scenarios. Case studies, but also more general and theoretical papers are welcome.
This workshop is particularly dedicated to doctoral candidates and postdocs of different disciplines. Talks and discussions will be documented on an own blog at http://hypotheses.org/. Speakers will be expected to participate in this format in order to present at the conference. Björn Gebert of the ‘Mittelalter-Blog’ at hypotheses.org will give an introduction to scientific blogging at the conference. Travel expenses and accommodation will be reimbursed by TZM for invited speakers within the limited overall budget.
Conference languages are English and German. Prospective speakers are invited to submit abstracts of about 300 words to klaes at uni-trier.de by 15 May 2017.
Organisation/contact

• Prof Dr Claudine Moulin (Trier University, German Historical Linguistics) moulin at uni-trier.de
• Dr Falko Klaes (Trier University, German Historical Linguistics): klaes at uni-trier.de
• Prof Dr Michael Embach (Library Director of City Library Trier (Stadtbibliothek Weberbach), Trier University, Medieval Literature: Michael.Embach at trier.de