Marxism and Medieval Studies

Martin Nodl, Ph.D. (2011), is a research associate professor at the Centre for Medieval Studies Academy of Sciences CR, Prague. He is the author of six monographs, including Das Kuttenberger Dekret von 1409 (2017), Średniowiecze w nas (2020), and Praha 15. století. Konfliktní společenství (2023). Piotr Węcowski, Ph.D. (2004), is a professor at the University of Warsaw. He has published three monographs and many articles on medieval history and history of historiography, including The Origins of Poland in the Historical Memory of the Late Middle Ages (Cracow 2014). Dušan Zupka, Ph.D. (2009), is an associate professor at Comenius University in Bratislava. He has published monographs, journal articles and edited volumes on power, ritual and war in medieval East Central Europe, including Rulership in Medieval East Central Europe (Brill, 2021).

Publisher’s Note

Notes on Contributors



1 Introduction

 Martin Nodl, Piotr Węcowski and Dušan Zupka



2 An Introduction to Marxist Historiography in Poland

 Rafał Stobiecki



3 Polish Medievalists in the Face of Stalinism (1948–1955)

 Tadeusz Paweł Rutkowski



4 Hungarian Medievalists under the Spell of Marxism

 Attila Pók



5 On the Genesis of Marxist Iconology: Some Observations on the Ambitious Methodological Endeavours of Czech Medieval Art History

 Tereza Johanidesová



6 Marxism and the Cultural History of Medieval Rus’: The Concept of a Russian Pre-Renaissance

 Jitka Komendová



7 František Graus: From Marxist Dogmas to the Concept of the Living and Dead Past

 Martin Wihoda



8 Between Science and Politics, between History and Archaeology: The Department for Studies on the Origins of the Polish State (1948/1949–1953)

 Piotr Węcowski



9 Medieval Knight Clans in Marxist Historiographical Criticism in the 1950s

 Andrzej Marzec



10 How Did the Czech Hussites Become a Current Problem in the History of Socialist Poland?

  Ewa Maleczyńska: Between Professional and Party Historian

 Przemysław Wiszewski



11 Hussitism as an Early Bourgeois Revolution

 Martin Nodl



12 Between Nationalism and Marxism: Silesian Princes of the Late Middle Ages through the Lens of Post-war Polish Historiography

 David Radek



13 Peasants, Rents, and Money in Marxist Works on German Law-Based Colonization

 Piotr Guzowski



14 Great Moravia in Slovak Marxist Historiography

 Adam Hudek



15 Marxists, Pseudo-Marxists and Neo-Marxists in Czech Archaeology

 Jiří Macháček



16 Marxism in Medieval Archaeology: A Woman’s Touch

 Florin Curta



17 Marxist Historical Theory in the Research of the Árpádian Period in Hungary (1000–1301)

 Gábor Thoroczkay



18 The Marxist Paradigm and Early Romanian Medieval Archaeology from the “Era of Great Achievements”

 Iurie Stamati



19 Conclusion: Is Marxism Alive and Inspiring in Contemporary East Central European Medieval Studies?

 Martin Nodl, Piotr Węcowski and Dušan Zupka



Index