Charlemagne after Charlemagne
11th Annual Symposium of the International Medieval Society (IMS-Paris)
Call for Papers
Location: Paris, France
Dates: Thursday June 26th – Saturday June 28th 2014
Keynote speaker: Dominique Boutet
Deadline for submissions: February 10th 2014
The International Medieval Society Paris (IMS-Paris) invites paper proposals and session themes for its upcoming symposium centered on “Charlemagne after Charlemagne.”
A looming presence during the Middle Ages and beyond, this Frankish king and emperor, who died in 814, had a cultural afterlife that far exceeded any other medieval historical figure. The symposium for 2014 seeks to examine the medieval reception (and representation) of Charlemagne on the 1200th anniversary of his death, as he became a model sovereign, a literary personage, and a saint. The holy emperor was venerated in a complex though limited manner, resulting in the elaboration of a distinct hagiographical discourse and the composition of a liturgical office.
The literary fortunes of Charlemagne, highlighted as early as 1865 by Gaston Paris, experienced multiple permutations. Latin and vernacular literature (French, Italian, German, English, etc.), produced divergent associations and separate developments, from historical works to chansons de geste. These literary representations went hand in hand with visual portrayals in manuscripts, stained glass, sculpture, and architecture. Charlemagne was also conjured as a figure of pilgrimage and a founder (real or imagined) of monasteries, cities, and universities, attached to these institutions through stories and forged documents to which his name was affixed. The figure of Charlemagne served to construct and define an ideal, which was shaped and reshaped by different eras according to their respective needs.
For its 2014 symposium, the International Medieval Society seeks to mark this anniversary through a reevaluation of Charlemagne’s legacy during the medieval period. Although the geographic area of France will be given priority, comparisons with other regional ‘Charlemagnes’ are certainly possible. We invite papers that deal with material from after Charlemagne’s death in 814 to the end of the Middle Ages.
Proposals of 300 words or less (in English or French) for a 20-minute paper should be e-mailed to ims.paris.2014@gmail.com no later than February 10th 2014. Each should be accompanied by full contact information, a CV, and a list of audiovisual equipment you require.
Please be aware that the IMS-Paris submissions review process is highly competitive and is carried out on a strictly blind basis. The selection committee will notify applicants of its decision by e-mail by February 26th 2014.
Titles of accepted papers will be made available on the IMS-Paris web site. Authors of accepted papers will be responsible for their own travel costs and conference registration fee (35 euros, reduced for students, free for IMS-Paris members).
The IMS-Paris is an interdisciplinary, bilingual (French/English) organization that fosters exchanges between French and foreign scholars. For the past ten years, the IMS has served as a centre for medievalists who travel to France to conduct research, work, or study. For more information about the IMS-Paris and the programme of last year’s symposium, please visit our website: www.ims-paris.org.
