From parchment to print: shaping history one word at a time, crafting narratives from the past
Image: Kunsthistorisches Museum Wien, Kunstkammer, Inventar-Nr. KK_8399
Medieval and modern writing practices refer to the methods, techniques, and conventions by which texts were produced, used, and preserved. Historiography is a “meta-analysis” i.e. the study of how the past is re-created and interpreted. It involves analysing the methods, sources, and perspectives used by historians to reconstruct and understand past events.
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Within the field of medieval and modern writing practices, we investigate various aspects, such as manual writing, the use of materials, the organization of documents, and their social and political functions. These practices illustrate how writing was used not only as a means of communication but also as a tool of power, legitimation and social control throughout the ages. Historiography examines the different ways history has been recorded and the various interpretations that have emerged over time. It helps us understand not just what happened in the past, but also how our understanding of the past has evolved. At the Institute of History, we investigate historiography also in terms of praxeology, examining how the intentions, choices, and actions of historians have influenced their interpretations of the past and how they have created (historical) knowledge.
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