Afterlives of the Gregorian Sacramentary

• Theology
• Research

International interdisciplinary symposium on liturgical manuscripts of the Western Middle Ages in Regensburg - Next conference: 23-24 November 2023

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14 September 2023

From September 6–8, the International Symposium “Afterlives of the Gregorian Sacramentary: Latin Mass Books and the Oganisation of Liturgical Knowledge (c. 850–1200)” took place in Regensburg. Organisers were Dr. Paweł Figurski (Polish Academy of Sciences & Alexander von Humboldt-Fellow) and Dr. Arthur Westwell (DFG position), together with Prof. Harald Buchinger, Chair of Liturgical Studies, where their projects are allocated, and Director of the Center for Advanced Studies “Beyond Canon_” at the  University of Regensburg (UR). 

Regensburg and Cambridge - Interdisciplinary Network

Numerous international scholars followed the invitation of the organisers, many of them associated with UR and with the University of Cambridge: Dr. Paweł Figurski used to be a fellow in Cambridge, Dr. Arthur Westwell and other speakers hold a PhD from there; with Susan Rankin, Professor Emeritus of Medieval Music at the University of Cambridge, the doyenne of international musical medieval studies gave a presentation. The speakers represented a strong mix of established and younger researchers, members of renowned international universities and small but excellent institutions alike. All this was made possible by the co-funding from the Regensburger Universitätsstiftung Hans Vielberth and the Institutum Liturgicum Ratisbonense. 

Culmination of long-standing agglomeration effects of the Chair of Liturgical Studies and “Beyond Canon_”

This international symposium was a culmination of a long-standing network of many years, which emerged in thematic continuation of an interdisciplinary conference held in 2016 ( conference volume). The synergies of Dr. Figurski, the Humboldt Foundation, and Dr. Westwell, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, with long-standing research interests of the Chair of Liturgical Studies in the field of liturgical manuscript research, the CAS “Beyond Canon_” and other collaborative projects were clustered into strong agglomeration effects: numerous speakers, presenters, and audience members of the symposium have either visited Regensburg multiple times, are past or present DFG or Humboldt fellows, or have other associations with our institution. 

Dr Paweł Figurski opened the conference, left Dr Arthur Westwell. Credit: Charlotte von Schelling/“Beyond Canon_”

Next conference scheduled for November 2023

This specialised international and interdisciplinary conference on liturgical manuscripts of the Western Middle Ages concluded with the prospect of yet another conference already scheduled: From November 23–24, a likewise international and interdisciplinary conference on Byzantine liturgical manuscripts will take place, then in synergy with a project of the Fritz Thyssen Foundation, which was recently settled in Regensburg under Dr. Marie-Ève Geiger. 

Prof. Dr. Harald Buchinger during the conference "Afterlives of the Gregorian Sacramentary". Credit: Charlotte von Schelling/“Beyond Canon_”