VehmeLit · Legal Cultures and Literary Trials in the Age of Goethe. The Vehmic Court Motif in Interdisciplinary and Comparative Perspective
Horizon 2020 — Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions
- Duration
- 2018-01-01 → 2019-12-31
- EU contribution
- €183,455
- Participants
- 1
- Scheme
- MSCA-IF
Lines connect the coordinator with its partners.
Results in brief
Legal Cultures and Literary Trials in the Age of Goethe. The Vehmic Court Motif in Interdisciplinary and Comparative Perspective
The VehmeLit project aimed at a first systematic analysis of the development of the Vehmic Court motif in German literature of the Age of Goethe. By complementing the study of canonical works with previously neglected novels and plays by ‘minor’ or anonymous writers, the project examined how literary works functionalised the motif to disseminate historical knowledge, sensitise readers to juridical questions, and reflect on the problematic nature of justice. By situating a corpus of around twenty texts within the broader cultural and historical horizon in which they were produced, VehmeLit placed a particular focus on the links between cultural production and historical understanding as well as on the complex semiotic exchanges between the legal and the literary system, thus enabling a rich interdisciplinary dialogue. The research developed along three major trajectories: 1) The literary treatment of the historical Vehmic system. Prominent importance was given to the analysis of historiographical sources referenced in the texts and paratexts, as well as to processes of transformation and manipulation of the sources for literary purposes. 2) The interactions between ‘minor’ works and canonical ones. By determining intertextual links within the corpus, processes of model-forming were identified alongside critical and parodistic intentions, proving that the increasing divide between ‘high’ and ‘low’ culture around 1800 still showed fruitful forms of exchange. 3) The reflection on justice. In most plays and novels the historical Vehme was instrumentalised to comment on contemporary legal practices and express criticism towards the institution of law. In particular, late-Enlightenment debates on the abolition of torture and death penalty are echoed in the texts, reflecting the profound changes that were occurring in the legal and penal system around 1800. The project was carried out in consonance with the priority mission set by the European Commission to promote and safeguard Europe’s cultural heritage. Through the study of largely unexplored texts and the reconstruction of their broad cultural background, VehmeLit contributed to improving the knowledge and dissemination of the culture and history of the European peoples.
Data: CORDIS, © European Union
Project objective
The project aims at a first systematic and in-depth investigation of the motif of the Vehmic Court – a medieval secret tribunal – in German literature of the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Despite the remarkable popularity of the subject, little research has yet been conducted to define the epistemological framework of its development. By dismissing the Vehme as a “trivial” trope, scholars have not grasped its broader relevance for the culture of the Saddle Period around 1800, an age of transitions and paradigm shifts in society and politics, but also in literature, historiography and the legal system.Through a close-reading analysis and interpretation of a corpus of around twenty plays and novels on the topic, most of which will be examined for the first time, Dr Vecchiato will clarify the reasons for the flourishing of Vehmic Court fictions in the Age of Goethe. By situating the texts within the cultural and historical horizon in which they were produced, he will shed new light on the interactions between popular and canonical literature, Law and Literature as well as Literature and History in that period. Furthermore, he will explore the cross-cultural dimension of the topic, by studying its reception in British literature.The project is a natural outgrowth of the researcher’s interest in the literature of the Age of Goethe; at the same time it grants him the possibility to acquire new competences and multidisciplinary knowledge, which will be crucial for the development of a broader research on the literary representation of trial scenes in German literature. Besides offering outstanding intellectual exchange and the possibility to establish international collaborations, a MSC-IF at King’s College London will help Dr Vecchiato further enhance his scholarly profile and track record of publications. Through teaching, dissemination and outreach activities, he will be able to reach full professional maturity and to generate impacts in and beyond academia.
Original text from CORDIS.
Participants
- KING'S COLLEGE LONDON · LondonCoordinatorUnited Kingdom
Links
Data: CORDIS, © European Union