Hermitism and the Culture of Solitude in the Holy Roman Empire, 900-1300

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Frank Rexroth
• Subject Area: Medieval History
• Term: since 2022
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 496310918

Modern understandings of solitude have deep historical roots, but in more recent times have undergone a reinterpretation, insofar as solitude has been conceived since c. 1900 as a deviation from social norms, maybe even a pathological one. In the past, the concept of solitude was more ambivalent, as a positive interpretation of aloneness existed that was of great cultural importance. It was fuelled by the influence and spread of hermitism in Europe throughout the entire pre-modern period. More comprehensive research on the topic has been conducted for England, France, and Italy, but not for the Holy Roman Empire. Systematic research into this phenomenon does not yet exist, so in a first approximation it is necessary to turn to the sporadically-known ‘experts of solitude’: hermits, recluses, and incluses. Of particular interest must be the early history of the so-called “New Hermitism”, from its beginnings in the middle of the 11th century until its end around 1200. During this era, most hermits lived a life in a group of like-minded individuals.. This phase is the focus of our research project, while its pre- and post-history should also be taken into sufficient account (total research period: 900–1300). The aim of the project is to employ a combination of quantitative surveys and qualitative studies to gain new insights into the history of hermitism in the Holy Roman Empire and thus to advance the project of a cultural history of solitude. At the centre of the quantitative survey is the development of an open access biographical database under the working title “REKMAR” (“Repertorium der Eremit*innen und Klausner*innen im mittelalterlichen Reich”), listing the hermits known to have lived in the Holy Roman Empire during the period in question. This database will form the basis for our qualitative investigations into the socio-cultural conditions and contexts of hermitic life, which we see as a special form of life within a group that is culturally relevant and exemplary for other lifestyles. Our guiding questions are aligned with two overarching epistemic aims: 1) a social history in the sense of a group history of hermitism examining whether the so-called “new hermitism” – with its own specificity and interaction with its social environment – can be identified, which differences exist between men and women in terms of their choice of a particular form of solitude or the inscription of asceticism into the body, and how the realities of solitude of men and women relate to one another; and 2) a historical study of the discourse on solitude exploring concepts of loneliness, the role of symbols, myths, and memory spaces, as well as the cultural impact of aloneness on perceptions and practices of the self, such as learned habitus or the kind of piety that is specifically expected of women.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants