Research on medieval hospitals, usually written in monographs, was traditionally embedded in national historiography. Recently and thanks to various international conferences, this approach has changed. Historians are increasingly studying these institutions from an international-comparative perspective, or focus on particular issues on a larger geographical scale, for example the way in which hospitals were integrated in urban space.

This workshop has two objectives. Firstly, we aim to offer young scholars the opportunity to take part in the recent trend of comparative research, going beyond the traditional national framework. Secondly, it will be important to demonstrate the various ways in which sources of medieval hospitals can be applied by historians: How can the study of source material deriving from medieval hospitals lead to concrete answers to larger research questions, or at least to some valuable new contributions and reflections?

The importance of hospitals for the poor relief evidently has to be considered, but the proposed research field is much larger. For instance, the significance of hospitals for the development of the urban craft guilds could be focused on, or their role in the power struggles between different urban groups, or their significance as important players on the land and lease market in the city and on the countryside.

Programme :

09.30 Welcome by Marc Boone (Professor, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Philosophy, Ghent University)

09.45 Introduction of the participants

10.00 Introduction by Irène Dietrich-Strobbe (PhD Student, Université Paris-Sorbonne – Ghent University – Université Grenoble-Alpes) et Lies Vervaet (PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow of FWO Flanders, Ghent University).

10.15 Panel 1: Medieval hospitals, which kind of laboratories ?
Chair : Els De Paermentier (Professor, Ghent University)

10.15 Justine Gourbière (PhD, Université Paris Ouest Nanterre La Défense): Les établissements de soins à Paris entre 1122 et 1505: implantation et architecture.
Lucy Barnhouse (PhD Student, Fordham University): Medieval Hospital History as a History of Religious Institutions.
11.15 Discussion
11.30 Coffee

11.45 Hadewijch Masure (PhD Student, Research Fellow FWO-Flanders, University of Antwerp): Hospitals in the diverse field of poor relief (Low Countries, 13th-16th century).
12.15 Discussion
12.45 Lunch

14.00 Panel 2 : Medieval hospitals, which kind of experiences?
Chair : Erik Thoen (Professor, Head of the Department of History, Ghent University)

14.00 Irène Dietrich-Strobbe (PhD Student, Université Paris-Sorbonne – Ghent University – Université Grenoble-Alpes): « Pour procés esquiver et amour nouri avec ceulx dudit hospital » : l’hôpital Comtesse et la gestion des conflits à Lille à la fin du Moyen Âge.

Lies Vervaet (PhD, Postdoctoral Fellow of FWO Flanders, Ghent University): The food provisioning of a major urban charitable institution: the Saint John’s hospital of Bruges (14th-16th century).
15.00 Discussion
15.45 Coffee

16.00 Thibault Jacobs (PhD Student, Research fellow of F.R.S-FNRS, Université Libre de Bruxelles ): Nouvelles élites économiques et investissement hospitalier dans les villes brabançonnes médiévales.
16.30 Discussion

17.00 Conclusions by Christine Jéhanno (Maître de Conférence, Université du Littoral) and Stefan Sonderegger (Professor, Universität Zurich).
19.00 Diner

Informations pratiques :
15-04-2016, from 09:30 to 17:00
STAM (City Museum), Bijlokesite, Godshuizenlaan 2, 9000 Gent
Contact Name : Lies Vervaet
Contact Email : lies.vervaet@ugent.be

Source : UGent – Henri Pirenne Institute for Medieval studies