Monastic Cartularies and Territorial Patronage in 11th-Century East Central Europe
Dr. Thaddeus Sterling (University of Oxford) & Dr. Brigitta Kovács (Eötvös Loránd University)
Abstract
The formation of ecclesiastical institutions and monastic foundations in eleventh-century East Central Europe played an instrumental role in consolidating territorial lordship and anchoring Christian administrative structures in newly converted realms. This article examines the surviving cartularies and foundational charters of Benedictine and Cistercian houses across the Pannonian basin and Bohemian borderlands. By conducting a codicological and diplomatic analysis of endowment charters, land grants, and papal immunities, the authors explore how monastic scriptoria systematically fabricated, interpolated, and preserved legal memories to protect institutional property against predatory secular elites. The research demonstrates that cartularies functioned not merely as passive archival repositories, but as active ideological instruments designed to legitimize ducal patronage and define sacred geographies. Furthermore, the study investigates the shifting patterns of witness lists attached to these charters, shedding light on the alliances between rising ecclesiastical corporations and regional warrior aristocracies. Our comparative findings reveal shared administrative practices that transcended local political fragmentation, providing a unified framework for understanding the interplay between spiritual devotion and territorial acquisition in the high medieval frontier.
Keywords
Monasticism, Cartularies, Diplomatics, East Central Europe, 11th Century, Territorial Patronage.