Dear all,

There will be a special event later this week to celebrate the arrival of Prof. Henrike Lähnemann in Newcastle: an inaugural lecture cum drinks reception afterwards, to both of which colleagues are cordially invited. Please note that this talk will – in contrast to the usual Thursday slot of our research seminar series – take place on Friday!

Best wishes,

Beate Müller

Inaugural Lecture of the new Chair of German Studies
Date: Friday 11 May 2007
Time: 4pm
Place: Room Beehive 2.22, Olb Library Building, Newcastle University

Prof. Henrike Lähnemann (Newcastle University): Playing on the Harp Strings of the Soul. Vision and Audition in Medingen Convent (followed by a reception)

The history of imagination, of conjuring up powerful images and making them come alive for a wider audience, is deeply rooted in medieval spirituality.The nuns of Medingen in Northern Germany drew on a long tradition of divine visions and auditions when they composed and illuminated their prayer-books. After a reform of the convent in the late 15th century they wanted to convey the sense of renewed monastic life by collecting German hymns, commenting on the Latin liturgy of the Mass and making all this accessible by explaining the texts as part of an inner process of staging them as sacred drama.
The inaugural lecture, in its turn, will try to make these beautiful illuminated manuscripts accessible. What do they tell us about the spiritual adventures of the late Middle Ages and how does one play on the harp strings of the soul?

URL: http://www.ncl.ac.uk/sml/research/seminars/German/g_seminars.htm