International Symposium under the academic direction of Professor Dr. Thomas K. Kuhn (Greifswald) and Dr. Gregor Ploch (Greifswald)
October 3, 2026, marks the 800th anniversary of the death of Francis of Assisi. With his radical call for evangelical poverty and his new form of religious life, this canonized founder of a religious order had a lasting impact on the medieval Church and on European religious and cultural history. The order founded by Francis quickly developed into one of the most influential spiritual movements of the Middle Ages. Within a few decades, branches were established in numerous European cities, where the Franciscan communities played a decisive role in shaping pastoral care, preaching, education, piety, and urban life.
The conference will examine the influence of the Franciscan Order on the broadly understood cultural history of the southern Baltic Sea region. The scope of the study is limited to the territories of present-day Germany and Poland. The focus is on the founding and development of Franciscan monasteries in the Middle Ages, Franciscan iconography, and the subsequent use of former monastery and church buildings after the Reformation within the respective urban-historical context. At the same time, the resulting questions and challenges for historic preservation and heritage protection will be discussed. A concluding section is devoted to the reception of Franciscan traditions in the present day. The study will examine both the influences on Protestantism and the ways in which Franciscan ideas have persisted and been adapted in modern anti-poverty and environmental movements, as well as in the media. Finally, the current work of Franciscan orders and communities will also be examined.
Information: www.wiko-greifswald.de
