The representation of Blacks in medieval German literature and art.

Although there are several references to Black peoples in German texts from the early to high Middle Ages, very little research has been done on the subject. Because of this lack of research, the significant impact which Black peoples had on European culture during the Middle Ages is not well known. In my dissertation I attempt to fill this void with a comprehensive study on the representations of Black peoples between the 8th and 13th centuries. Specifically the dissertation examines on the one hand the ways in which medieval Europeans perceived Black peoples, and on the other hand the ways in which the perceptions of the "Other" influenced how medieval Europeans saw themselves. Literary and artistic representation can tell us much about the social and historical realities of a time period. It can also inform us about the perceptions of the people who reconstruct these realities through their literature and art. Therefore, in order to determine what attitudes and ideas medieval Germans had about Black peoples and in order to determine how they defined themselves in relation to their ideas about this "Other", I specifically study the ways in which Blacks were portrayed in medieval literary, artistic, exegetical and historical/political texts. After conducting a close examination of the several primary and secondary sources, I have concluded that certain historical situations and cultural traditions caused the medieval European to view the Black Moor in almost exclusively negative terms before the late 12th century. After this time period, however, and after more extensive contacts with the Muslim world, the Black Moor was portrayed in much more positive terms. Still the vestiges of prejudice, built up over centuries remained. While the Black Moor was no longer despised because of his blackness, he was praised only in spite of that blackness.PhDGermanic Languages and literaturesUniversity of Michigan, Horace H. Rackham School of Graduate Studieshttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/104139/1/9500953.pdfDescription of 9500953.pdf : Restricted to UM users only