Symbolic Resources and Political Structures on the Periphery: Legitimization of the Elites in Poland and Norway, c. 1000-1300
University of Warsaw ·Poland
About this project
<p>This project comparatively studies the symbolic means and practices of legitimation of the religopolitical elites in two stateless peripheral European polities – Poland and Norway – between their Christianization and their consolidation as stable monarchies, c. 1000-1300. This project transgresses these two paradigms in a significant and novel way. It contends that the key to understanding the means of political structuring in stateless societies and the center-periphery relations during the high Middle Ages, 1000-1300 lies in the setup and the role of the elites in those peripheral regions as key players in the emergent polities and active intermediaries in the contacts with ‘core’ European regions. We thus compare the case studies of religopolitical elites in Poland and Norway in order to comprehend the general conditions, means, variables, and effects of elite legitimation on the European peripheries. Following questions guide the investigation: 1. What kind of symbolic resources did the Polish and Norwegian elites employ in order to elevate themselves above their peers and subjects? 2. To what extent and how did the members of the elite collaborate, compete and seek to de-legitimize the efforts of their contenders? 3. How were these projections of entitlement received by the elites and the rest of the society? 4. What means did they use to assure their dominance over time? These questions will be considered in comparative fashion, investigating the similarities, differences, and idiosyncrasies of the two cases of peripheral elites’ ways of self-legitimation as well as how the elites locally adapted and leveraged their relations with and inspirations from the political and ecclesiastical centers in Europe to boost their positions at home. The project gathers a Polish-Norwegian team of medievalists (historians, archeologists, numismatists) who will present their results as co-written articles</p>
Bilateral cooperation results
The collaboration between the Polish and Norwegian team members is visible in joint publications, participation in conferences and workshops, and even in applications for new grants. Scholars from both countries worked on multiple workpackages reflecting active bilateral collaboration. All three grant applications submitted, including one successful, as well as some others under consideration are based on the experienced from the ELITES. They have been prepared with the cooperation of the applicant with other members of the team, from whom they received, among other things, consultation and feedback. All these projects imply further cooperation between the Polish and Norwegian team members.
Project partners
- University of Oslo Donor project partner· Norway