Professor Jörg Peltzer

This is a project that seeks to explore several key issues in medieval European history, including the reconfiguration of the relationship between kings and magnates, the monetarisation of society, the ‘Europeanisation’ of politics and the interdependencies between personal piety and crusading. These themes are approached via the remarkable life and career of Richard, younger son of King John, brother of Henry III, count of Poitou, earl of Cornwall, elected King of Germany, claimant to the title Holy Roman Emperor and de facto founder of what today remains the Duchy of Cornwall estate stretching in the 13th century from Cornwall to Yorkshire. In addition to its analysis of themes and personalities, the project will produce editions of the letters and charters issued by Richard for his Anglo-French estate as well as of the book of charters known as the Earldom of Cornwall Cartulary (a major but little explored resource for social and economic history).