Medieval History Prize for Jan-Hendryk de Boer
Popes without Rome
- von Birte Vierjahn
- 22.06.2026
Political turmoil, bitter feuds, rival noble families in Rome: in 1309, Pope Clement V opted to settle in Avignon rather than at the traditional seat of the papacy. The city in Provence remained the seat of the Curia until 1377. For his postdoctoral thesis on this extraordinary period, PD Dr Jan-Hendryk de Boer from the Institute of History at the University of Duisburg-Essen has now been awarded the Medieval Studies Prize by the ‘Michael and Claudia Borgolte Foundation’ at Humboldt University in Berlin. The prize has been awarded every two years since 2016 and is endowed with 10,000 euros.
In his monograph Das Avignoneser Papsttum ermöglichen. Zur Legitimation einer angefochtenen Institution (Enabling the Avignon Papacy: On the Legitimacy of a Contested Institution), Jan-Hendryk de Boer examines the period between 1309 and 1377, when a total of seven popes resided predominantly in Avignon. In Rome, the head of the Church was surrounded by places, rituals and symbols that supported his position: The tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul, as well as the numerous relics in the Roman churches, conferred dignity and power upon the office. The unique splendour of Rome as a cosmopolitan city also played a part, for to this day every pope, upon his election, simultaneously becomes Bishop of Rome. In Avignon, by contrast, these visible and invisible sources of legitimacy for the office were entirely absent.
‘The Middle Ages were a time when tradition was held in very high regard,’ explains de Boer. ‘So what happens when a powerful institution such as the papacy suddenly loses touch with some of its traditions? This opens up entirely new avenues for action, which the popes and the Curia exploited both creatively and effectively.’ Popes primarily communicated through letters, documents and sermons. To achieve the desired effect on their recipients, including secular rulers, bishops, and cities, the Avignon Papacy employed effective techniques and strategies. For instance, in their letters, the popes emphasised that they possessed reliable and accurate information on which to base decisions tailored to the situation at hand. Furthermore, they presented themselves as mediators in conflict situations and as forward-thinking figures whose actions would secure a bright future for the Church and its people.
For his monograph, which has now been awarded a prize, de Boer was granted his habilitation this year at the Faculty of Humanities at the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE). The award-winning, as yet unpublished work was produced as part of the DFG Research Training Group Vorsorge, Voraussicht, Vorhersage. Kontingenzbewältigung durch Zukunftshandeln (Precaution, Foresight, Prediction: Coping with Contingency through Future-Oriented Action) and within the department headed by Prof. Dr Benjamin Scheller at the Institute of History at UDE. The habilitation thesis was completed as part of the Research Network "Cultures of Compromise" at the University of Duisburg-Essen (UDE), which was funded by the State of North Rhine-Westphalia.
Image: Seal of Pope Clement VI, who reigned from 1342 to 1352, in the Archives municipales in Avignon. PD Dr Jan-Hendryk de Boer has been awarded the Medieval Studies Prize for his habilitation thesis on the papacy in Avignon.
Further Information:
PD Dr. Jan-Hendryk de Boer, Institute of History, jan-hendryk.de-boer@uni-due.de
Editor: Birte Vierjahn, +49 203/37 9-2427, birte.vierjahn@uni-due.de