Monastic Women and Secular Economy in Later Medieval Europe, ca. 1200 to 1500

Mülle , Annalena
Book
Monas ic Women and Secula Economy in La e Medie al
Eu ope, ca. 1200 o 1500
P o ided in Coope a ion wi h:
Taylo & F ancis G oup
Sugges ed Ci a ion: Mülle , Annalena (2024) : Monas ic Women and Secula Economy in La e
Medie al Eu ope, ca. 1200 o 1500, ISBN 978-1-003-83825-8, Rou ledge, Abingdon, Oxon,
h ps://doi.o g/10.4324/9781003299905
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Monas ic Women and Secula
Economy in La e Medie al
Eu ope, ca. 1200 o 1500
This book aims o ew i e he na a i e o women and powe in medie al
socie y. Based on a ich co pus o sou ces – sys ema ically collec ed o he
i s ime – i e eals emale monas e ies as cen al and economically able
agen s in eudal socie y.
Wi h a ch onological ocus on he la e Middle Ages, his book ocuses
on ou powe ul con en s loca ed in mode n-day F ance, Ge many, and
Swi ze land. Th ee o hese ins i u ions we e a is oc a ic con en s ounded
in he ea ly Middle Ages. They we e endowed wi h a - anging eudal
p e oga i es ha we e la gely, bu no exclusi ely, de i ed om landed
possessions. The ou h con en o igina ed in he hi een h cen u y and
disposed o a p ima ily mone a y economy.
Obse ed om a longue-du ée pe spec i e, Monas ic Women and Secula
Economy in La e Medie al Eu ope e eals s a egies o adap a ions ha
allowed hese di e en ins i u ions o wea he he signi ican economic
changes o he la e Middle Ages. Wi hin he con ex o medie al eudal
socie y, hese abbesses and p io esses we e au ho i a i e igu es. They uled
o e e i o ies, dispensed jus ice, appoin ed p ies s, and e en sen soldie s o
wa . La e medie al con en s ac ed as u ban landlo ds and ga e c edi s – hey
we e hus majo economic playe s in he ising ci ies. These obse a ions o
his monog aph will o ce medie alis s o econside he adi ional image o
bo h he “male” eudal Middle Ages and medie al mone a y economy.
Annalena Mülle holds a Mas e ’s deg ee om he Uni e si y o Pa is 1
Pan héon-So bonne and a PhD om Yale Uni e si y. She has held academic
posi ions in F ance, Ge many, and Swi ze land. He p e ious publica ions
include F om he Clois e o he S a e: F om he Clois e o he S a e (2021).
LONDON AND NEW YORK
Monas ic Women and Secula
Economy in La e Medie al
Eu ope, ca. 1200 o 1500
Annalena Mülle

Fi s published 2024
by Rou ledge
4 Pa k Squa e, Mil on Pa k, Abingdon, Oxon OX14 4RN
and by Rou ledge
605 Thi d A enue, New Yo k, NY 10158
Rou ledge is an imp in o he Taylo & F ancis G oup, an in o ma business
© 2024 Annalena Mülle
The igh o Annalena Mülle o be iden i ied as au ho o his wo k
has been asse ed in acco dance wi h sec ions 77 and 78 o he
Copy igh , Designs and Pa en s Ac 1988.
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A ca alogue eco d o his book is a ailable om he B i ish Lib a y
Lib a y o Cong ess Ca aloging-in-Publica ion Da a
Names: Mülle , Annalena, au ho .
Ti le: Monas ic women and secula economy in la e Medie al Eu ope, ca.
1200 o 1500 / Annalena Mülle .
Desc ip ion: Abingdon, Oxon : Rou ledge, 2024. | Includes bibliog aphical
e e ences and index. |
Iden i ie s: LCCN 2023041251 (p in ) | LCCN 2023041252 (ebook) |
ISBN 9781032290706 (ha dback) | ISBN 9781032290713 (pape back) |
ISBN 9781003299905 (ebook)
Subjec s: LCSH: Monas e ies—Economic aspec s—Eu ope—His o y—To 1500. |
Monas icism and eligious o de s o women—Eu ope—His o y—To 1500. |
Eu ope—Economic condi ions—To 1492.
Classi ica ion: LCC BX2590 .M85 2024 (p in ) | LCC BX2590 (ebook) |
DDC 271/.90040902—dc23/eng/20231124
LC eco d a ailable a h ps://lccn.loc.go /2023041251
LC ebook eco d a ailable a h ps://lccn.loc.go /2023041252
ISBN: 978-1-032-29070-6 (hbk)
ISBN: 978-1-032-29071-3 (pbk)
ISBN: 978-1-003-29990-5 (ebk)
DOI: 10.4324/9781003299905
Typese in Sabon
by codeMan a
Con en s
Lis o Figu es ii
Glossa y ix
Acknowledgmen s xiii
1 Female Monas icism, Powe , and His o iog aphy:
AnIn oduc ion 1
PART I
Ea ly Medie al S uc u es and he La e Medie al Economy 21
2 The Ea ly Medie al Backg ound: No e-Dame de
Soissons, Buchau Abbey, and F aumüns e o Zu ich 23
3 The Wo ldly Dominions o Women Religious in La e
Medie al Eu ope 40
PART II
Monas ic Economic Powe in he La e Medie al Ci y 67
4 Economic S a egis s: Klingen al in Basel I 69
5 Following he Money: Klingen al in Basel II 90
Conclusion 115
i Con en s
Appendix 1: The La e Medie al Abbesses o No e-Dame de
Soissons, Buchau Abbey, and F aumüns e o Zu ich 123
Appendix 2: Tabula Con en o Klingen al’s Anni e sa y
Book (Ab idged) S ABS Klingen al H 125
Bibliog aphy 177
Index 191
Figu es
2.1 Schema ic ende ing o he Plan o S . Gall 24
3.1 F aumüns e and i s pa imony in he hi een h cen u y.
Map design: Agnes Scho mann 45
3.2 F aumüns e and i s la e medie al pa imony (c. 1430). Map
design: Agnes Scho man 46
3.3 (a) Buchau’s pa imony in he hi een h cen u y.
(b)Buchau’s pa imony in he ou een h cen u y.
(c)Buchau’s pa imony in he i een h cen u y. Map design:
Agnes Scho mann 50
3.4 Buchau’s pa imony in he i een h cen u y wi h jus
pa ona us. Map design: Agnes Scho mann 52
3.5 No e-Dame’s nin h-cen u y possessions acco ding o he
con i ma ion by Cha les he Bald (858). Map design: Agnes
Scho mann 53
3.6 No e-Dame’s seigneu ies and chu ches wi h jus pa ona us.
Map design: Agnes Scho mann 55
3.7 No e-Dame’s pa imony in he la e ou een h cen u y. The
as majo i y o he abbey’s possessions we e loca ed in he
icini y o Soissons. Map design: Agnes Scho mann 57
4.1 Map o Basel (Ma häus Me ian, 1642) wi h Klingen al 73
4.2 Klingen al’s landed pa imony and i hes in he la e
hi een h (le ) and la e ou een h cen u ies ( igh ). Map
design: Agnes Scho mann 79
5.1 Klingen al’s house-economy in he la e i een h-cen u y
Basel. Map design: Agnes Scho mann 102

DOI: 10.4324/9781003299905-1
F om he abba ial qua e s, Abbess Odeline de T achy (1256–1273) can
o e look he bo ow called No e-Dame. She can see he houses o he Rue
S . Pie e, he new hospi al, and he chu ch o S . Pie e au Pa is, home
o he ecalci an canons who a e subjec o he au ho i y. The s ee s below
he abbey a e busy as usual. The e a e he egula c owds nea he ma ke ,
he a e ns, and wo kshops. Cons uc ion-noise is echoing in he s ee s. A
new p ison is being e ec ed. I is bigge han hen old one which has become
oo small o he g owing numbe o men and women om he abbey’s sei-
gneu ies awai ing ial. The abbess is mis ess o e 27 seigneu ies. I is he
esponsibili y o main ain he peace and ensu e ha jus ice is se ed. She is
also esponsible o he subjec s’ p o ec ion om ex e nal ha m. Tha is why,
Elisabe h has commissioned a unnel o be exca a ed. The unnel will con-
nec he abbey’s walled qua e wi h he es o he ci y i he ci y o Soissons
should see ano he siege. In ha case, he abbess will ha e o o de he ga es
o he bo ow shu . Bu he unnel will allow o smuggling ood inside he
abbey’s qua e . I he e is any o be p ocu ed, o cou se. In eali y, he e is
li le Elisabe h can do o p o ec he subjec s om he wa s ha ha e a aged
he a ea o as long as anybody can emembe . And e en less o hose li ing
ou side o Soissons. Bu maybe he unnel will b ing a li le sa e y, a leas o
he esiden s o he abbey’s bo ow…
Al hough his s o y is ic ionalized, i s key elemen s – he walled qua e ,
seigneu ies, p ison, and unnel – a e his o ically documen ed.1 F om he
se en h un il he la e eigh een h cen u y, he abbess o No e-Dame de
Soissons was a powe ul eudal lo d in he egion o Soissons. And she was
no excep ion. A he ime, innume able abbesses exe cised secula au ho i y
all ac oss Eu ope. They adminis e ed e i o ies whe e hey collec ed axes,
dispe sed jus ice, and e en ec ui ed soldie s o he king’s a my. In addi ion
o being places o eudal au ho i y, medie al con en s we e economic cen -
e s. Monas ic demesnes p oduced g ea quan i ies o g ain, wine, and ui s,
which ed bo h a con en ’s inhabi an s and employees, and su pluses we e
sold on egional ma ke s. B idges, qua ies, mills, and ponds b ough u he
e enues ha in one way o ano he en e ed he local ma ke s.
1 Female Monas icism, Powe ,
and His o iog aphy
An In oduc ion
This chap e has been made a ailable unde a CC-BY-NC-ND license
2 Female Monas icism, Powe , and His o iog aphy: An In oduc ion
While a common phenomenon in medie al Eu ope, abbesses and he in-
s i u ions hey adminis e ed a ely appea in ex books on eudal Eu ope.
The majo i y o s udies ha engage wi h medie al socie y a la ge con inue
o concei e o he Middle Ages as a pe iod o male au ho i y. To some de-
g ee, his has long applied o social his o ians and esea che s o women’s
and gende his o y alike. The la e , oo, long conside ed medie al women
as ma ginalized agen s – and hose women who yielded powe – poli ical o
economic – as excep ions om he no m.2 In he mid-1990s, Geo ges Duby
succinc ly summa ized he discipline’s p e ailing pe cep ion when he w o e
ha “ he Middle Ages we e esolu ely male.”3 And elsewhe e, ha “by ea-
son o hei physical cons i u ion, o he na u e o hei body, and he sex
which de ines hem, women we e deemed incapable o exe cising he powe
o command, po es as.”4 A he ime, Duby was he mos amous ep esen a-
i e o his iew, bu he was no he only one. Ra he , his no ion emained
dominan h oughou he ea ly 2000s.
In ecen yea s, his iew has begun o change. Challenging he “inhe -
i ed na a i e,” a g owing numbe o s udies ha e e ealed eli e women o
ha e habi ually yielded au ho i y, uling coun ies and duchies alongside hei
husbands o alone and e en aising a mies.5 These s udies ha e shown ha
powe ul women we e no so excep ional in medie al Eu ope a e all.6 As a
esul , he adi ional image o he male Eu opean Middle Ages has begun o
c umble, as i is g adually being eplaced by a new, mo e nuanced one.
This monog aph will con ibu e o ew i ing he na a i e o women and
powe in medie al socie y by ocusing on he secula and, pa icula ly, he
economic au ho i ies o emale monas ics. Wi h a ch onological ocus on
he la e Middle Ages, he ollowing chap e s will cen e on ou con en s
loca ed in mode n-day F ance, Ge many, and Swi ze land. The ou ins i u-
ions a e No e-Dame de Soissons, Buchau Abbey, F aumüns e o Zu ich,
and Klingen al o Basel. The i s h ee we e ounded in he ea ly Middle
Ages. No e-Dame’s o igin da es o he mid-se en h cen u y, Buchau’s o ca.
770, and hose o F aumüns e Abbey o he yea 853. All h ee we e a is-
oc a ic con en s which we e endowed wi h a - anging eudal p e oga i es
ha we e la gely, bu no exclusi ely, de i ed om landed possessions. The
in luence o he ou h con en , Klingen al, a hi een h-cen u y ounda ion,
was p ima ily economic and inancial. I es ed on an imp essi e po olio
which he con en ’s nuns s eadily buil h oughou he ou een h and i -
een h cen u ies. The ou con en s conside ed in his s udy a e examples o
op- ie emale monas e ies ha exis ed all o e Ca holic Eu ope and ha
possessed bo h g ea economic and e i o ial au ho i y h oughou he Mid-
dle Ages and equen ly beyond.
Women and Powe : Beyond he Ex ao dina y
In he 1970s, eminis his o ians se ou o show ha women e y much had
had a his o y be o e he mode n e a, and ha a chi es housed innume able
Female Monas icism, Powe , and His o iog aphy: An In oduc ion 3
sou ces es i ying o he li es, deeds, and agencies o p emode n women.
They a gued ha he his o iog aphical silence ega ding women was no due
o a lack o documen s, bu esul ed om he dominan male iew on his o y
ha had simply omi ed hese sou ces. In a second s ep, women’s his o ians
se ou o show ha he o e looked his o ies o women om all anks o
socie y ma e ed. Schola s, such as Joan Kelly, a gued ha he bypassing o
his o ical women had yielded a dis o ed pe cep ion o he dis an pas in
gene al. And ha aking in o conside a ion emale pe spec i es would o ce
his o ians o econside he discipline’s mas e na a i es, including i s pe io-
diza ion.7 Kelly and o he s demanded ha his o iog aphy as a whole needed
o be o e hauled and his o y be ew i en o include women.
The hen new ield o Women’s His o y had depa ed om a de ensi e po-
si ion. I s p oponen s sough o p o e ha women’s his o y ma e ed o he
discipline as a whole, a ques ha was me wi h much esis ance. Mo eo e ,
his de ensi e posi ion b ough wi h i a pa adox. On he one hand, emi-
nis schola s a gued agains he no ion o emale in isibili y in he medie al
wo ld. On he o he hand, hey did so while ope a ing wi hin he concep ual
amewo k o male powe and emale subo dina ion in p emode n Eu ope.
As a esul , much o he ield’s wo k ended o concei e o emale agencies as
excep ional and as ha ing o be w es led om a mo e o less encumbe ing
pa ia chy. In ecen yea s, he ield’s his o iog aphical na a i e has begun
o change om a de ensi e one, whe e women had o igh o hei space
and independence, o a mo e a i ma i e one ha eadily assumes ha eli e
women na u ally pa ook in powe .
Ope a ing wi h a mo e nuanced de ini ion o powe was he p e equisi e
o al e ing he na a i e. When Geo ges Duby, and o he s wi h him, had
a gued ha women we e incapable o exe cising powe in medie al Eu ope,
hei asse ion la gely es ed on a simpli ied e sion o he Webe ian concep
o powe : Since women did no igh wa s in medie al Eu ope, hey we e
incapable o exe cising powe .8 The ques ion o women and powe has been
e isi ed many imes since he 1990s.9 In my iew, one o i s mos use ul
econcep ions is ha o Ge man medie alis Ch is ine Reinle. In he 2015
essay “Was bedeu e Mach im Mi elal e ?,” she assumed a s ic ly s uc u -
alis pe spec i e.10 Reine did no con end he sel wi h he no ion o powe as
he abili y o command and punish. Ra he , d awing on sociologis Michael
Mann, she es ablished a s uc u al de ini ion o powe and ule i s , which
allowed he o answe he ques ion abou women and powe , second.11
Max Webe amously de ined powe as he abili y o impose one’s will
wi hin a social ela ionship despi e esis ance.12 The p oblem wi h such a
b oad de ini ion o powe is he same as Duby’s a ia ion o i – i is oo
ague o be ope able. Webe was keenly awa e o he p oblem and shi ed
his a en ion o au ho i y ins ead. Au ho i y is closely connec ed o powe ,
bu i is s uc u ally mo e angible.13 Many sociologis s a e Webe ha e
aken he same ou e, including Michael Mann. Mann de ines au ho i y as a
o m o powe which he a ec ed g oups and ins i u ions conside bene icial.
4 Female Monas icism, Powe , and His o iog aphy: An In oduc ion
Legi ima e au ho i y, acco ding o Mann, is based upon a se o sha ed al-
ues, such as no ions o espec , adhesion o no ms, and hie a chical s uc-
u es. Like o he sou ces o powe , also au ho i y is socially cons uc ed. I
is oo ed, among o he hings, in economic, mili a y, and/o poli ical in lu-
ence.14 Mann’s de ini ion o au ho i y also includes he aspec o imposing
one’s will, which is cen al o any de ini ion o powe and au ho i y. How-
e e , as Mann’s de ini ion also conside s he means h ough which he im-
posi ion o will is achie ed, i opens he ci cle o hose capable o exe cising
au ho i y beyond men wielding a ms. Ch is ine Reinle used Mann’s de ini-
ion and adap ed i o make i ope able o inqui ies conce ning medie al
Eu ope.
When applying sociological concep s o powe and au ho i y o he Mid-
dle Ages, one needs o ake in o conside a ion a numbe o p e equisi es
which a ule had o mee . Acco ding o Reinle, hese include physical in-
eg i y and ma i al legi imacy. In addi ion o such cul u al equi emen s,
Reinle iden i ies access o ma e ial and social esou ces as he sine qua non
o he e ec i e exe cise o au ho i y and ule in medie al Eu ope.15 Ma e-
ial esou ces include he disc e iona y disposi ion o land, money, wa io s,
ho ses, e c., while social esou ces comp ise he abili y o appoin indi idu-
als in o (luc a i e) o ices.16 The e ec i eness o au ho i y in medie al Eu-
ope hus depended on i s bea e ’s s uc u al, in as uc u al, and social
weal h. In o he wo ds, an au ho i a i e ule needed o possess he ma e ial
esou ces o impose hei will, o keep he peace among hei people, and
he social esou ces o g an a o s and dis a o s and hus o be able o e -
ec i ely os e and egula e pa on-clien ela ionships.17 Whe he women
had access o such ma e ial and social esou ces depended on a numbe o
hings, including hei social s a us and local laws o succession. Howe e ,
he emale sex was no a ma ke ha excluded hem om exe cising au ho -
i y.18 I women disposed o he social and ma e ial esou ces, hey could,
and indeed, hey did, wield au ho i y in medie al Eu ope, as he g owing
numbe o s udies engaging wi h medie al queenship and emale a is oc a s
show.19
Ne e heless, one needs o be ca e ul o no go o e boa d. Al hough e-
cen s udies ha e demons a ed ha au ho i y exe cised by a emale was no
excep ional in medie al Eu ope, i also emains ue ha he Middle Ages
we e uncom o able wi h a emale ule . Especially whe e secula ule was
conce ned, medie al socie y always p e e ed a man on he oyal o ducal
h one.20 Bu , he e was one as a ea o dominion whe e women we e he
na u al, e en he only, choice: emale monas e ies. Ea ly and high medie al
abbesses we e es ed wi h much o he same au ho i ies as secula lo ds.
Jus as secula lo ds, abbesses uled o e hei con en s’ seigneu ies, hey
dispe sed jus ice, le ied axes, and gene ally we e he highes au ho i y. This
omnip esen “secula ” aspec o emale monas icism has hi he o la gely es-
caped bo h schola s o medie al queenship and schola s o emale monas i-
cism.21 And his s udy se s ou o con ibu e o illing his gap.
Female Monas icism, Powe , and His o iog aphy: An In oduc ion 5
Female Monas icism and Thei Fo go en Powe
in Medie al Eu ope
Monas e ies we e he a chi es o he Middle Ages. No only cen e s o e-
ligious, philosophical, and medical knowledge, hei walls also gua ded a
con en ’s cha e ed igh s, p i ileges, and o he legal documen s. The weal h
o w i en sou ces ha has come down o us om monas e ies is un i aled.
I is he e o e no su p ising ha monas ic his o y has long been a adi ional
ield o medie al inqui y. Howe e , he e as elsewhe e, his o ians o he nine-
een h and o he i s hal o he wen ie h cen u ies ended o ocus on male
o de s.22 This is ue in e ms o bo h his o ical s udies and sou ce edi ions.
Only o e he cou se o he pas 30 yea s, his o ical schola s ha e begun o
ake an in e es in he o e looked in luence o emale monas ic communi ies.
This obse a ion holds pa icula ly ue o Ge manophone and Anglophone
schola ship.23 In he la e , emale monas icism has become a ich and di e se
ield o esea ch since he la e 1990s.24 Closely ied o he cul u al u n and
he ise o gende his o y, s udies ha e engaged wi h monas ic communi ies
as places o cul u al p oduc ion and lea ning, g adually debunking he my h
o unlea ned nuns and e en e ealing hei con en s as places o poli ics.25
The ocus o Ge manophone his o iog aphy has been sligh ly di e en .
Because o i s adi ional ies o Landesgeschich e, s udies end o be s ic ly
empi ical – some imes bo de ing on he desc ip i e. Landesgeschich e can
be desc ibed as egional his o y on an academic le el wi h a dis inc me h-
odology which insis s on conside ing e e y his o ical sou ce a ailable o
he objec o egion unde s udy.26 Landesgeschich e has a long adi ion
wi hin Ge man academia in gene al and he s udy o medie al monas icism
in pa icula . Mo eo e , and going beyond he disciplina y limi s o Landes-
geschich e, Ge man his o ians ha e long been in e es ed in he ea ly medi-
e al ounda ions o emale con en s and hei ole o he Ch is ianiza ion o
Cen al Eu ope and he s abiliza ion o F ankish ule.27 A numbe o ecen
Landesgeschich e s udies ha e begun o shed ligh on hei la e medie al
a es and ha e shown ha hese a is oc a ic con en s equen ly emained so-
cially and economically in luen ial h oughou he Middle Ages and beyond.28
Howe e , esul ing om i s s ic con inemen o egional his o y and limi ed
in e es in compa ison on a la ge scale, schola s o he ield equen ly as-
sume ha hese powe ul con en s o ea ly medie al o igin (S i e) we e a
Ge man speci ici y which undamen ally di e ed om nunne ies elsewhe e.29
As he ollowing chap e s will show, his assump ion does no hold up o
ans egional sc u iny.30
While he geog aphical ocus o Landesgeschich e is one ac o o explain-
ing he lack o ans egional s udies, he gene al lacuna o s udies engaging
wi h F ench nunne ies is ano he . F ance is he na u al egion o compa ison
because o he sha ed F ankish o igins o mode n-day Ge many, Swi ze land,
and F ance, and because F ankish Eu ope was he pe iod o which da e he
o igins o many powe ul emale monas e ies.31 Apa om a ew no able

6 Female Monas icism, Powe , and His o iog aphy: An In oduc ion
excep ions, F ench his o iog aphy has adi ionally paid li le a en ion o
emale monas icism, al hough medie al F ance was pa icula ly ich in pow-
e ul con en s.32 The absence o sou ce edi ions and e e ence wo ks u he
complica es any esea ch p ojec on medie al F ench con en s. And much
wo k emains o be done he e.33
Au ho i y and Landowne ship
This monog aph engages wi h di e en ypes o au ho i y held by emale
monas e ies and enqui es as o how hese de eloped in he long du ée. Mo e-
o e , i asks abou he ac o s and s a egies ha de e mined he ins i u ions’
long- e m economic success o e en ual decline. Especially o monas ic in-
s i u ions o ea ly medie al o igin, landowne ship was a cen al sou ce o
bo h hei economic weal h and au ho i y. Thus, he e ms “ eudalism” and
“mano ialism” immedia ely come o mind when wan ing o pu names on
hei economic na u e. Howe e , he concep s o “ eudalism” and “mano i-
alism” ha e seen a simila ly exhaus i e schola ly engagemen as he no ions
o “powe ” and “au ho i y.” While I do no wish o en e he deba e, he
e minological e olu ion along wi h a delamina ion o he e ms’ usage in
his s udy needs add essing.34
Schola ly deba es abou eudalism da e back o he eigh een h cen u y. A
he ime, he no ion had been shaped by wo cen u ies o academic discus-
sions on eudal and ag a ian laws.35 Wi h he bi h o he mode n uni e si y
and academic social and his o ical s udies du ing he nine een h cen u y, so-
cial heo is s and his o ians began o a ail hemsel es o hese p e iously
s ic ly legalis ic e ms. The pe iod’s schola s expanded hei usage and ga e
hem a b oade meaning. They applied he e ms o desc ibe he economic
and social cons i u ion o he medie al poli ical sys em.36 In o he wo ds,
du ing he nine een h cen u y, eudalism (and mano ialism) changed om
legal e ms as ound in medie al cha e s o analy ical ca ego ies mean o
e lec he s uc u e o medie al socie y and economy a la ge.
Tha in i sel is no hing unusual, as his o ians a ail hemsel es o a g ea
numbe o analy ical ca ego ies, which a e necessa y o make he dis an
pas in elligible o mode n minds. This is also ue o eudalism, which has
b ough abou a numbe o g oundb eaking s udies ha ha e allowed o
a be e unde s anding o he complexi y and di e si y o medie al socie al
s uc u es, including, o cou se, Ma c Bloch’s La socié é éodale (1939).37
Howe e , a e o e a cen u y o eudal and mano ial s udies, he ca ego ies
ha e been c i icized as ha ing become so gene al ha hey ail o desc ibe
some hing in pa icula .38 I would be u ile o engage a leng h in he
c i icisms and de enses o hei con inuous usage, as o he s ha e done so su -
icien ly.39 Ins ead, i shall su ice o b ie ly ou line he meanings a ibu ed o
hem in he subsequen chap e s.
As he concep s we e only bo n in he “pos - eudal ages” o he eigh een h
and nine een h cen u ies, i is e iden ha no medie al man o woman would
Female Monas icism, Powe , and His o iog aphy: An In oduc ion 7
ha e desc ibed hei socie al en i onmen as eudal, no would hey ha e
unde s ood wha such a desc ip ion migh imply. Howe e , al hough he e -
minology is mode n, he phenomena i seeks o desc ibe a e no . Along wi h
he la e Susan Reynolds, I will dis inguish eudalism “in he na owe , eudo-
assalic sense o ela ions be ween lo ds and assals wi hin he noble class”
om “seigneu ie o mano ialism, ha is, ela ions be ween lo ds and peas-
an .”40 Fo he mos pa , he ies his s udy discusses all in o he ca ego y o
mano ial ela ions be ween lo ds (monas e ies) and peasan s. Bu na u ally,
i also ouches on eudal ies whene e ela ionships be ween said monas e -
ies and o he nobles, such as kings o empe o s, a e conce ned.
All mano ial ela ionships ha e land a hei cen e . In medie al Eu ope,
landowne ship usually came wi h a numbe o igh s o e he people who
li ed on i . The cha ac e o hese igh s was no s a ic and changed o e ime,
and mano ial au ho i y was he mos exhaus i e du ing he ea ly and high
Middle Ages. Au ho i y de i ed om landowne ship is wha is mean when
he ollowing chap e s speak o mano ial o seigneu ial au ho i y. Howe e ,
no all p e oga i es o a seigneu we e ied o he land he o she owned. A sei-
gneu ’s suze ain could ans e addi ional au ho i ies o a local ep esen a i e.
Such was he case when Hen y III es ed he abbess o F aumüns e wi h he
egalia, which e ec i ely allowed he o go e n Zu ich in he ele en h cen-
u y. In ha case, he abbess o F aumüns e yielded bo h, mano ial au ho i y
o e he peasan s and eudal au ho i y o e he ci izens o Zu ich.41 Thus, a
clea -cu dis inc ion be ween eudal and mano ial au ho i y is no always easy
o make, as hey could and o en would o e lap. Mo eo e , he ac ual powe
a mano ial and/o eudal lo d exe cised o e people also depended on hei in-
di idual s a us. A lo d had mo e au ho i y o e se s han o e ee peasan s,
and u ban ci izens equen ly enjoyed g ea e eedoms han peasan s, e c. Be-
cause o he inhe en blu iness and complexi y o bo h he e minology and
i s ac ual implica ions, I only imply he minimal de ini ions, ha is, simply
dis inguishing be ween ela ionships o lo d and assal and lo d and peasan .
Such ques ions o e minology aside, landowne ship emained a cen al
sou ce o au ho i y du ing he en i e Middle Ages, no only in u al en i on-
men s bu also wi hin ci ies. Th oughou hei exis ence, he h ee ins i u ions
o ea ly medie al o igin, ha is, No e-Dame, Buchau, and F aumüns e ,
d ew hei weal h and powe p ima ily om hei mano ial and eudal au-
ho i ies wi h which hey had been endowed du ing he cen u ies ollow-
ing hei ounda ions and which hey kep h oughou hei exis ence. On
he o he side, la e medie al ins i u ions, such as Klingen al o Basel, we e
usually no been gi en mano ial igh s upon hei ounda ion. Ne e heless,
also hese younge ins i u ions s o e o acqui e demesnes. While also la e
medie al landowne ship s ill came wi h a numbe o igh s o e he people
wo king i , hese we e less comp ehensi e and no s ic o sensu seigneu ial.
As a esul , he objec i e behind amassing a able land was di e en o con-
en s such as Klingen al. As Chap e s 4 and 5 will discuss in de ail, i was
p ima ily economic.
8 Female Monas icism, Powe , and His o iog aphy: An In oduc ion
Top-Tie Female Monas icism
The ollowing chap e s cen e on No e-Dame de Soissons, Buchau am Fed-
e see, F aumüns e o Zu ich, and Klingen al o Basel. While hese ins i u-
ions di e ed in many ega ds, hey a e ne e heless a ep esen a i e sample
o weal hy and powe ul con en s whose abbesses, and in he case o Klin-
gen al p io esses, managed di e se economic po olios. They we e eli e in-
s i u ions, and en y in o any one o hem equi ed no only he paymen
o a signi ican dow y, bu o he mos pa also noble lineage.42 All ou
o hem we e weal hy and did no ha e o wo y abou making ends mee .
They did no depend on ci ic dona ions o main ain hei con en no was
he communi y obliged o engage in paid labo o supplemen hei ins i u-
ion’s esou ces.43 In o he wo ds, No e-Dame, Buchau, F aumüns e , and
Klingen al we e uppe ie con en s. Conside ed in hei uppe - ie con ex ,
he nunne ies o ea ly medie al o igin a e ypical, in ha hey we e endowed
wi h la ge e i o ial holdings which equi ed long- e m managing, whe eas
Klingen al is an example o a la e medie al u ban con en whose in luence
was de i ed om i s economic success. An impo an ac o ha all ou
communi ies sha ed was hei sel -go e nmen .
O he ou , only he Dominican con en o Klingen al was pa o a la ge
monas ic ne wo k. Gene ally, emale houses wi hin a monas ic o de we e less
independen in hei ac ions, as hey usually equi ed hei abbo ’s (o p io ’s)
consen o economic and o he impo an decisions.44 Howe e , wi hin some
o de s, such as he Dominican, indi idual houses enjoyed a - anging inde-
pendence. The absence o a pa amoun abbo o p io allowed hese communi-
ies o ac independen ly in ma e s conce ning hei con en and pa imony.
A he same ime, hei independence allows us o disce n hei economic s a -
egies and he scope o hei ac ions mo e clea ly in he sou ces han in hose
cases whe e hey we e mi iga ed h ough a supe io abbo . Howe e , inde-
pendence om a supe io abbo does no mean ha he abbesses and hei
communi ies had no supe io s o i als. Qui e na u ally, hey had o engage
wi h bishops and nego ia e wi h secula lo ds and ci y councils. The ways in
which he ins i u ions did so – i hey we e able o pu amily ne wo ks o use,
and he ways in which hey managed hei ies o he ci izen y o e ime – we e
c ucial o main aining hei long- e m economic heal h and independence.
F om a s uc u al pe spec i e, hese monas ic ins i u ions sha ed a numbe
o esemblances wi h he pe iods’ secula lo ds. As landowne s and inancial
hea y weigh s, hey we e economically in luen ial. The abbesses o eudal and
mano ial con en s we e he heads o seigneu ies whe e hey collec ed axes
and dispe sed jus ice. In addi ion – and unlike hei secula coun e pa s –
hese abbesses equen ly also held eligious au ho i ies, as hei pa onage
igh s allowed hem o appoin p ies s o he pa ish chu ches o hei sei-
gneu ies. While he economic se up o la e ounda ions di e ed om ha
o hei ea ly medie al siblings, hei s uc u e allowed hem o en u e in
Female Monas icism, Powe , and His o iog aphy: An In oduc ion 9
he economic ields ha opened up in he new ci ies. P o ided hey had he
means o do so, hey could gene a e weal h and economic powe h ough
inancial in es men s. In his, hey ac ed qui e simila o he me chan s and
banke s who we e on he ise in la e medie al ci ies.
No e-Dame de Soissons, Buchau, F aumüns e , and Klingen al hus ep-
esen ypes o eli e emale monas icism ha con inued o be omnip esen
in he la e medie al Eu ope. The basis o hei weal h and au ho i y ei he
con inued o come om hei mano ial o igins, o , in he case o younge
ins i u ions, i came om he new ma ke s which hei u ban en i onmen
p o ided. While no ep esen a i e o la e medie al emale monas icism pe
se, he s udy o hese op- ie ins i u ions allows o d awing gene al conclu-
sions abou he o en-o e looked in luence o weal hy emale ins i u ions in
la e medie al Eu ope, whe e hey con inued o be ubiqui ous.
Due o hei omnip esence, he numbe o possible ins i u ions o choose
om was as , o cing me o selec a manageable numbe . O iginally, I had
in ended o conside a la ge sample wi h an equal ep esen a ion o Swiss/
Ge man and F ench ins i u ions. I was nei he a lack o ins i u ions which
quali ied o his gen e o inqui y no was i due o a lack o sou ces es ing o
hei seigneu ial and economic powe ha p e en ed hei inclusion. Ra he ,
i was he dispa a e s a e o esea ch and, especially, o a ailable edi ions
ha o ced me o cu down he sample. Due o he scope o economic sou ces
equi ed o his p ojec , he numbe o p e iously uns udied ins i u ions o
which no edi ions we e a ailable had o be limi ed in o de o comple e he
s udy in a easonable ime ame. The p oblem lay p ima ily wi h he F ench
ins i u ions. While he sou ce ma e ial o hem was o en emendously ich,
he espec i e co puses no only lacked edi ions, bu equen ly e en an a -
chi al in en o y.
O my ini ial p eselec ion o F ench con en s, only No e-Dame de Sois-
sons made he inal cu . The eason o his choice was wo old. Fo one,
I selec ed No e-Dame because o i s blue p in cha ac e o he impe ial
con en o He o d, which, in u n, se ed as an example o he ounda ions
o many o he con en s, including Buchau and F aumüns e . This monas ic
lineage allows o es ablishing compa abili y be ween wes and eas despi e
geog aphical dis ances. The second eason was a mo e pe sonal one. No e-
Dame’s his o y is ich and powe ul. As we will see, i s abbesses we e imp es-
si ely able go e no s who main ained and inc eased hei ins i u ion’s weal h
o e he cou se o 11 cen u ies and succeeded in main aining he abbey as
an impo an local playe un il he F ench Re olu ion. And hey did so in
a egion ha was dense wi h in luen ial playe s, ha is, i als. Ye , mode n
his o iog aphy has ne e engaged wi h he abbey’s his o y, al hough i is ce -
ainly ele an enough o be in es iga ed. In o he wo ds, I chose o ell he
s o y o No e-Dame because i is a pa icula ly poignan example o he
many s o ies ha o his day con inue o be o e looked – p esumably because
i s p o agonis s we e women.
16 Female Monas icism, Powe , and His o iog aphy: An In oduc ion
Jenni e C. Edwa ds, Supe io Women. Medie al Female Au ho i y in Poi ie ’s
Abbey o Sain e-C oix (Ox o d: Ox o d Uni e si y P ess, 2019); and my own
F om he Clois e o he S a e. Fon e aud and he Making o Bou bon-F ance
(London: Rou ledge, 2021), 4–7.
10 Ch is ine Reinle, “Was bedeu e Mach im Mi elal e ?,” in: Zey (ed.), Mäch ige
F auen, 35–72.
11 Duby, Women, 69.
12 Max Webe , He scha und Gesellscha . G und iss de e s ehenden Soziologie,
5. Re idie e Au lage (Tübingen: J. C. B. Moh , 1980), 28.
13 This is no o sugges ha sociology and sociologis s ha e abandoned de ining
powe , a om i . Howe e , o he pu poses o his s udy, a ocus on au ho i y
and ule is mo e bene icial. Conside ing ha sociological and his o iog aphical
engagemen s also wi h he concep s o au ho i y and ule ha e been as , he
ollowing is s ic ly limi ed o he ac o s ele an o he p esen inqui y which
sha es Ch is ine Reinle’s concep o au ho i y and ule.
14 Michael Mann, The Sou ces o Social Powe : A His o y o Powe om he Begin-
nings o A.D. 1760 (Camb idge: Camb idge Uni e si y P ess, 1986), 22–32.
15 Reinle, “Mach ,” 47–48.
16 Reinle, “Mach ,” 45; 49–51.
17 Reinle, “Mach ,” 49–50; 52; 54.
18 Reinle, “Mach ,” 52
19 See, among o he s, Binachini, Queen’s Hand; o medie al Ibe ian queens in gen-
e al: Nikolas Jaspe , “Indi ek e und di ek e Mach ibe ische Königinnen im
Mi elal e . «Reginale» He scha , Ve wal ung und F ömmigkei ”, in: Zey (ed.),
Mäch ige F auen? 73–130; Kimbe ly A. LoP e e, Adela o Blois. Coun ess and
Lo d (c. 1067–1137) (Dublin: Fou Cou s P ess, 2007); Rogge (ed.), Fü s in und
Fü s ; Fößel, Die Königin; and William Mon e ’s 2012 monog aph The Rise o
Female Kings in Eu ope cap u es he changing his o iog aphical pe spec i e on
emale powe in i s i le. Mon e ’s choice o e e o woman so e eigns as emale
kings is mo e han an oxymo onic wo d play. I is mean o show ha while hei
gende was di e en , hei au ho i y was he same:
Women mona chs could go e n e ec i ely in mos places a mos imes because
mos men adap quickly o obeying o de s om a legi ima e commande who
happens o be emale. Today, in wha is p obably he closes app oxima ion o ab-
solu e ule among ci ilians in a democ acy, male c ew membe s will unques ionably
obey a emale pilo . He oice may sound di e en , bu he messages i ansmi s
a e no .
Mon e , Rise, 41–42
20 Janna Binachini discusses his p edicamen o queenship being an inhe en pa
o medie al mona chy and no a aul y de ia ion om i , and, a he same ime,
aking in o accoun he discom o o medie al socie y wi h a emale ule , which
howe e did no necessa ily lead o a diminished au ho i y o he queens in ques-
ion; Binachini, Queen’s Hand, 1–16; 19.
21 One impo an excep ion om his ule is Sig id Hi bodian’s wo k engaging
wi h he wo ldly dominion o women eligious. Sig id Schmi (Hi bodian), “Die
He scha de geis lichen Fü s in. Handlungsmöglichkei en on Äb issinnen im
Spä mi elal e ,” in: Rogge (ed.), Fü s in und Fü s , 187–202; and Sig id Hi bo-
dian, “Weibliche He scha zwischen Ki che und Wel . Geis liche Fü s innen im
11–14. Jah hunde ,” in: Zey (ed.) Mäch ige F auen? 411–436.
22 To jus name he illus ious examples o S . Denis in F ance o he abbeys and
o de s o Cluny and Cî eaux. All o which ha e seen cen u ies o his o iog aphi-
cal engagemen . Michel Félibien’s “His oi e de l’abbaye oyale de Sain Denys en
F ance” om 1706 was he i s lea ned his o y on he impo an oyal abbey.

Female Monas icism, Powe , and His o iog aphy: An In oduc ion 17
Many mo e ha e ollowed since. BREPOLiS Medie al Bibliog aphies comp ises
291 s udies published since 1960 alone. The bibliog aphy is simila ly ex ensi e
o he amous monas ic o de s, and he e seems li le alue in lis ing a mo e o
less a bi a y selec ion.
23 Examples include, bu a e ce ainly no limi ed o, Sig id Hi bodian, Geis liche
F auen und s äd ische Wel . Kanonissen – Nonnen – Beginen und ih e Umwel
am Beispiel de S ad S aßbu g im Spä mi elal e (1250–1525) (unpublished ha-
bili a ion: Uni e si y o Mainz, 2001); Fiona G i i hs, The Ga den o Deligh s.
Re o m and Renaissance o Women in he Twel h Cen u y (Philadelphia, PA:
Uni e si y o Pennsyl ania P ess, 2007); Julie Ho chin and Fiona G i i hs (eds.),
Pa ne s in Spi i . Women, Men, and Religious Li e in Ge many, 1100–1500
(Tu nhou : B epols, 2014); Sabine Klapp, Das Äb issinnenam in den un e elsäs-
sischen F auens i en om 14. bis zum 16. Jah hunde : Umkämp , e handel ,
no mie , S udien zu Ge mania Sac a, Neue Folge 3 (Be lin, and Bos on, MA:
De G uy e , 2012); and Jasmin Ho en-Hacke , Zo da se e en u s liken s ad
mede holden. Geis liche Töch e on Reichs ü s en im spä en Mi elal e und de
ühen Neuzei (unpublished PhD disse a ion: Uni e si y o G ei swald, 2021).
The impo an wo k o many yea s o Cons ance Ho man on emale Cis e cians
can be ound b ough oge he in Cons ance Ho man Be man, The Whi e Nuns.
Cis e cian Abbeys o Women in Medie al F ance (Philadelphia, PA: Uni e si y
o Pennsyl ania P ess, 2018); simila ly, he ui o many yea s o esea ch is E a
Schlo heube ’s “Geleh e B äu e Ch is i”. Geis liche F auen in de mi elal e li-
chen Gesellscha (Tübingen: Moh Siebeck, 2018); Edwa ds, Supe io Women;
and my own F om he Clois e o he S a e.
24 While somewha da ed, Jo Ann Kay McNama a’s Sis e s in A ms. Ca holic Nuns
Th ough Two Millenia (Camb idge, MA, and London: Ha a d Uni e si y P ess,
1996) was undoub edly pa hb eaking o his de elopmen .
25 Also, he e he li e a u e has g own ex ensi e o e he pas 30 yea s. On li e a y
p oduc ion, see, among o he s, he wo ks o Alison I. Beach, especially Women
as Sc ibes: Book P oduc ion and Monas ic Re o m in Twel h-Cen u y Ba a ia
(Camb idge: Camb idge Uni e si y P ess, 2004), Anne Wins on-Allen, Con en
Ch onicles: Women W i ing Abou Women and Re o m in he La e Middle Ages
(Uni e si y Pa k, PA: Pennsyl ania S a e Uni e si y P ess, 2004); he wo ks o
Fiona G i i hs e e enced abo e, and Vi ginia Blan on, Ve onica O’Ma a, and
Pa izia S oop (eds.), Nuns’ Li e acies in Medie al Eu ope: The Hull Dialogue
(Tu nhou : B epols, 2017); o memo y building, see, among o he s, Pa ick J.
Gea y, Li ing wi h he Dead in he Middle Ages (I haca, NY: Co nell Uni e si y
P ess, 1994); Amy G. Remensnyde , Remembe ing Kings Pas . Monas ic Founda-
ion Legends in Medie al Sou he n F ance (I haca, NY: Co nell Uni e si y P ess,
1995); Elisabe h Van Hou s (ed.), Medie al Memo ies. Men, Women and he Pas
700–1300 (London: Rou ledge, 2001); and Anne Wins on Allen, “The Obse an
Re o m Ve sus he Re o ma ion: Women’s Sc ip o ia, Books and he Resis ance”,
in: Kon on a ion, Kon inui ä und Wandel: Selbs wah nehmung und O dnungs-
o s ellungen in geis lichen F auengemeinscha en in Zei en de Bed ohung du ch
die Re o ma ion, ed. Sig id Hi bodian, Tabea Scheible, and Agnes Scho mann
(Os ilde n: Jan Tho becke, 2022), 39–56. Fo la e medie al emale clois e s as
places o poli ics, see Edwa ds, Supe io Women; and Mülle , F om he Clois e
o he S a e.
26 Sig id Hi bodian de ines Landesgeschich e as being:
ocused on a de ined space bu i is also in e disciplina y, d awing on his o y,
a chaeology, a his o y, cul u al s udies, and o he a eas. And Landesgeschich e
wo ks ac oss his o ical pe iods. I is no bounded by he Middle Ages, bu can
each in o he ea ly mode n and mode n pe iods in o de o in es iga e he long-
e m o ma ion o e- o ma ion o he egion unde s udy ac oss epochs. Regional
18 Female Monas icism, Powe , and His o iog aphy: An In oduc ion
his o ical de elopmen s a e always placed a he cen e , and compa ison and he
d awing o b oade conclusions a e only wa an ed when hese can be based upon
ho oughly esea ched egions. Finally, Landesgeschich e is commi ed o he in-
ense s udy o e e y a ailable piece o his o ical e idence o he egion in ques ion
(…). The wo k ha his o ians in he ield o Landesgeschich e do is hus deduc i e;
hey i s collec all o he a ailable sou ces and hen y o answe his o ical ques-
ions ha ha e eme ged du ing his sou ce-in ensi e wo k.
Sig id Hi bodian, “Resea ch on Monas icism in he Ge man T adi ion”,
in: The Camb idge His o y o Medie al Monas icism in he La in Wes .
Vol II. The High and La e Middle Ages, ed. Alison I. Beach and Isabelle
Cochelin (Camb idge: Camb idge Uni e si y P ess, 2020), 1143–1144.
27 See Chap e 2 o a mo e de ailed discussion and his o iog aphical e e ences.
28 The esea ch g oup A bei sk eis Geis liche F auen im Mi lela e (AGFEM)
ounded by Sig id Hi bodian, Alison I. Beach, and o he s ha e played a cen al ole
in b inging la e medie al con en s somewha in o he his o iog aphical limeligh .
The g oup’s annual mee ings ha e suppo ed a numbe o s udies (disse a ions and
habili a ions) in he ield. Among o he s, Klapp, Das Äb issinnenam ; Ch is ine
Kleinjung, F auenklös e als Kommunika ionszen en und soziale Räume. Das
Beispiel Wo ms om 13. bis zum Beginn des 15. Jah hunde s (Ko b: Didymos
Ve lag, 2008); and, mo e ecen ly: Tja k Wegne , Handlungswissen, Kommunika-
ion und Ne zwe ke. De Ulme Ra im Kon lik mi geis lichen Ein ich ungen,
1376–1531 (Os ilde n: Jan Tho becke, 2023); Agnes Scho mann, Iden i ä en
und Handlungsmöglichkei en on Kanonissen im 15. und 16. Jah hunde (Be -
lin: Pe e Lang, 2020); and Ho en-Hacke , Zo da .
29 The idea ha S i e we e a Ge man speci ici y has a long adi ion wi hin
Landesgeschich e. I es s la gely on a legalis dis inc ion be ween nuns who
ollowed he Benedic ine ule and ce ain ypes o canonesses whose ule, w i -
en ollowing he Synodes o Aachen (816–819), was mo e lenien , allowing he
possession o p i a e p ope y, e c. Fo a classical (and ypical) discussion o hese
legal di e ences, see, o example, Ka l Hein ich Schä e , “Die Kanonissens i e
im Deu schen Mi elal e . Ih e En wicklung und Inne e Ein ich ung im Zusam-
menhang mi dem al ch is lichen Sank imonialen um,” in: Ki chen ech liche Ab-
handlungen, ols. 43 and 44, ed. Ul ich Schulz (Su ga : Ve lag on Fe dinand
Enke, 1907), 11–23. Wi hin Landegeschich e, he s ic dis inc ion be ween can-
onesses and nuns emains a s aple un il oday. See, o example, Sabine Klapp,
“Geis liche F auen – Mäch ige F auen? Die Äb issinnen on Buchau im Mi e-
lal e und in de F ühen Neuzei ”, in: F auen in Wü embe g. Landeskundig.
Tübinge Vo äge zu Landesgeschich e, ol. 1, ed. Sig id Hi bodian, Sabine
Klapp, and Tja k Wegne (Os ilde n: Jan Tho becke, 2016), 82–83.
30 See Chap e 2.
31 The me hodological discussion abou he me i s o compa a i e his o y e sus
egional (o “na ional”) his o y is an old one. In he adi ion o Ma c Bloch,
I ad oca e ha he compa ison be ween ela ed, ha is, s uc u ally simila ,
socie ies can be a ui ul one, allowing o disce n Eu opean phenomena and no
alling p ey o o e es ima ing egional excep ionalisms, e en i he egions a e no
equally ho oughly esea ched and hus do no mee he s ic c i e ia o Landes-
geschich e. C . abo e, no e 27; Ma c Bloch, La socié é éodale (Pa is: Edi ions
Albin Michel, 1939), 14–15.
32 Excep ions include Micheline de Fone e, Les eligisieuses à l’âge classique au
d oi canon. Reche ches su les s uc u es ju idique des b anches éminines des
o de s (Pa is: V in, 1967); Paule e L’He mi e-Lecle cq, Le monachisme éminin
dans la socié é de son emps. Le monas è e de La Celle (XIe-débu du XVIe siècle)
Female Monas icism, Powe , and His o iog aphy: An In oduc ion 19
(Pa is: Cujas, 1989); Jean-Ma c Bien enu, Les P emie s Temps de Fon e aud,
1101–1189. Naissance e E olu ion d’un O d e Religieux (unpublished doc o al
hesis: Uni e si é Pa is 1 Pan héon-So bonne, 1980), along wi h a numbe o
a icles de i ed om his PhD hesis: he wo k o Jacques Dala un which ha e,
howe e , mos ly ocused on he male ounde o Fon e aud. Jacques Dala un,
L’Impossible Sain e é. La ie e ou ée de Robe d’A b issel ( . 1045–1116),
onda eu de Fon e aud (Pa is: Edi ions du Ce , 1985); Socié é des An iquai es
de l’Oues (ed.), His oi e de l’Abbaye Sain e-C oix de Poi ie s. Qua o ze siècles
de ie monas ique (Poi ie s: Socié é des An iquai es de l’Oues , 1986); Ca he ine
Le ouzey-Ré y, Ec i e ges ion du empo el dans une g ande abbaye de emmes
anglo-no mande: La Sain e-T ini é de Caen (XIe-XIIIesiècle) (unpublished doc-
o al hesis: Uni e si é Pa is 1 Pan héon-So bonne, 2011); and mos ecen ly,
Michel Melo , His oi e de l’Abbaye de Fon e aud. No e-Dame-des-Pleu s
(Pa is: CNRS Edi ions, 2022). In ecen yea s, English language s udies ha e be-
gun o engage wi h selec F ench nunne ies. Among hese a e Edwa ds’s Supe io
Women engaging wi h Sain e-C oix de Poi ie s, my own wo k on Fon e aud,
and ce ainly Cons ance Ho man’s many yea s o s udying emale Cis e cians.
Howe e , o hese h ee examples, only Edwa ds cen e s on a nunne y o ea ly
medie al o igin. Fo he model cha ac e o wes F ankish con en s o he oun-
da ion o eas F ankish ones, see Chap e 2.
33 Fo una ely, he e a e a numbe o inqui ies on hei way ha will help s a clos-
ing one o he mos gla ing lacunae in he ield o emale medie al monas icism.
As his monog aph is being w i en, se e al doc o al disse a ions a e unde way
ha engage wi h medie al F ench con en s. One o he p ojec s is on Fon e aud’s
economic his o y ca ied ou by Julia Cole a he Uni e si y o To on o; Soumaya
Daoussi o he Uni e si é So bonne Pa is No d is s a ing o wo k on a compa a-
i e s udy o powe ul abbesses in he la e medie al kingdoms o F ance and he
Holy Roman Empi e.
34 Simila o he ea lie discussion o au ho i y and powe , his o e iew does no
claim o be exhaus i e. Ra he , bo h a e s ic ly limi ed o he ac o s ele an o
he p esen inqui y.
35 Susan Reynolds, Fie s and Vassals: The Medie al E idence Rein e p e ed (Ox o d:
Ox o d Uni e si y P ess, 1994), 3.
36 Klaus Sch eine , “‘G undhe scha ’: En s ehung und Bedeu ungswandel eines ge-
schich swissenscha lichen O dnungs- und E klä ungsbeg i s”, in: Die G undhe -
scha im spä en Mi elal e I, ed. Hans Pa ze (Sigma ingen: Tho becke, 1983), 65.
37 Bloch, La socié é éodale.
38 This obse a ion is no new, o cou se. Bu he usage and meaning o eudalism,
mano ialism, and he Ge man equi alen “G undhe scha ” ha e been subjec o
much deba e since he mid- wen ie h cen u y. Reynolds, Fie s and Vassals, 1–14;
and Sch eine , “G undhe scha ,” 46–64.
39 In addi ion o Reynolds and Sch eine , see Ka l-Heinz Spiess’s mo e ecen in o-
duc ion, along wi h S e en Pa zold, “Das Lehenswesen im Spiegel his o iog aphis-
che Quellen des 12. und 13. Jah hunde s”, in: Vo äge und Fo schungen Vol.
76: Ausbildung und Ve b ei ung des Lehenswesens im Reich und in I alien im 12.
und 13. Jah hunde (Sigma ingen: Jan Thobecke Ve lag, 2013), 9–16; 269–306.
40 Reynolds, Fie s and Vassals, 2.
41 C . Chap e 2 o a de ailed discussion o he abbess’ igh s.
42 Noble lineage was a p e equisi e o en y in o F aumüns e , Buchau, and No e-
Dame. The dow y o Klingen al was so high (100 gulden) ha only e y weal hy
amilies could a o d i . Howe e , noble lineage was no an o icial equi emen .
43 Especially in he la e Middle Ages, wi h he numbe o mendican con en s g ow-
ing, ci ies some imes had o suppo hei eligious ins i u ions wi h dona ions o
20 Female Monas icism, Powe , and His o iog aphy: An In oduc ion
money o g ain. She i F. Johnsons discusses his o he hi een h-cen u y Bologna:
She i F anks Johnson, Monas ic Women and Religious O de s in La e Medie al
Bologna (Camb idge: Camb idge Uni e si y P ess, 2014), 136–143; 166–168. The
same is ue o Renaissance Flo ence, whe e some communi ies en e ed high-end
ex ile p oduc ion: Sha on T. S occhia, Nuns and Nunne ies in Renaissance Flo -
ence (Bal imo e, MD: Johns Hopkins Uni e si y P ess, 2009), 74–81; 116–126.
44 The Cis e cians can se e as an example. Al hough i ook a while o isi a ion
ules and con ol o be es ablished, as o 1240, a he abbo s equen ly isi ed
he o de ’s nunne ies, and he local abbess was no allowed o con adic hese
abbo s’ decisions o whom hey we e subjec ed; Be man, Whi e Nuns, xi.
45 Rudol Seigel, Eugen S emmle , and Be nhad Theil (eds.), Die U kunden des S i s
Buchau: Reges en 819–1500, In en a e de nich s aa lichen A chi e in Baden-
Wü embe g 36 (S u ga : Kohlhamme , 2009).
46 Fo F aumüns e , his s udy elies p ima ily on he sou ces edi ed in Geo g on
Wyss, Geschich e de Ab ei Zü ich (Zü ich: Zü che und Fu e , 1851–1858),
Beilagen.
47 AdA H 1506.
48 Fo a codicological discussion o he ca ula y, see Annalena Mülle , “Le ms ADA
1508: Le ca ulai e de No e Dame de Soissons. Une é ude codicologique con ex-
ualisée,” in: Femmes e hommes d’Eglise dans l’Aisne, 115–132. Fédé a ion des
Socié és d’His oi e e d’A chéologie de l’Aisne 65, Laon, 2020, 115–132.
49 Annalena Mülle , “To gesag e leben länge . Das Klos e Klingen al als Ve wal-
ungseinhei in de Al en Eidgenossenscha ,” in: Hi bodian, Scheible, and Scho -
mann (eds.), Kon on a ion, Kon inui ä und Wandel, 57–74.
50 E o s o s uc u e he con en s o he six een h-cen u y egis e s ha e a long
his o y o hei own, da ing back o he se en een h cen u y. A ha ime, he
objec i e was o ensu e ha he ci y council ob ained all e enues i was owed as
Klingen al’s hei . E o s since he nine een h cen u y, howe e , ha e been aimed
a making he egis e s’ con en accessible in a s uc u al way sensible o a chi es;
Mülle , “To gesag e,” 66–73.
51 S ABS Klingen al H; c . Chap e 5 o a mo e de ailed discussion o he sou ce.
52 C . appendix o he ab idged abula con en o Klingen al H.
53 Fo a b ie discussion on some o he main challenges, albei on a mo e gene al
le el, see Hedwig Röckelein, “Monas ic Landscapes”, in: Beach and Cochelin
(eds.), Camb idge His o y o Medie al Monas icism, 825–827.
54 A case in poin example o his is he online e sion o he Deu sche Rech swö -
e buch which lis s 192 di e en ypes o Vög e – na u ally only o he Ge man-
speaking a eas: h ps://d w-www.adw.uni-heidelbe g.de/d w-cgi/zeige?index=lem
ma a& e m=* og &da s ellung=u, DRW. Deu sches Rech swö e buch Online,
h ps://d w-www.adw.uni-heidelbe g.de/d w-cgi/zeige.
55 In 2021/2022, he Swiss Na ional Science Founda ion gene ously ounded he
de elopmen o he in e ac i e websi e www. ulingwomen.ch which makes he
his o y o emale medie al monas icism accessible o a wide public. The websi e
is a ailable in Ge man and English.
56 N.B, I used FileMake o design my da abase. Due o he open-access
cha ac e o Ha a d Da a e se, he da abase’s con en was expo ed in o
excel and hose can be accessed unde : h ps://da a e se.ha a d.edu/da ase .
xh ml?pe sis en Id=doi:10.7910/DVN/KTTSZ2.
57 The obse a ion ha he la e Middle Ages need schola ly engagemen ee om
p econcei ed no ions o he e a ha ing been one o decline is ce ainly no new.
Ye , i holds s ill ue. Fo a discussion o ha na a i e and i s legacy, see Kaspa
Elm, “Ve all und E neue ung des O denswesens im Spä mi elal e ,” in: Un e su-
chungen zu Klos e und S i , ed. Max-Planck-Ins i u ü Geschich e (Gö ingen:
Vandenhoeck & Rup ech , 1980), 188–238.
Pa I
Ea ly Medie al S uc u es and
he La e Medie al Economy

DOI: 10.4324/9781003299905-3
Th ee o he ou ins i u ions a he cen e o his s udy a e o ea ly medie al
o igin. Founded be ween he se en h and he nin h cen u ies, No e-Dame de
Soissons, Buchau Abbey, and F aumüns e Abbey we e all endowed wi h im-
po an e i o ial holdings and a - anging eudal and egal igh s. All h ee
we e ypical monas ic ounda ions o his pe iod – hei communi ies we e
a is oc a ic and hei pa imony plen i ul. The la e especially was a sine
qua non: in o de o any monas e y o p e ail in he long un, o suppo i s
p esen and u u e inhabi an s, i needed o be as sel -su icien as possible.
While monas e ies unde s ood hei pa imony as acqui ed o e e ni y, said
pa imony was, qui e na u ally, subjec o change o e ime. In o de o ap-
p ecia e he able managemen ha allowed a monas e y’s enu es o con inue
o yield income cen u ies a e hei ini ial acquisi ion and o e alua e he
changes ha hey unde wen in e ms o s uc u e, size, and connec i i y, one
needs o be awa e o hei o igin and hei o iginal pu pose.
No eligious communi y could li e on ai h and he lo e o God alone.
No ma e how small o la ge a con en , i s economy was pi o al o i s
exis ence. The so-called Plan o S . Gall (Figu e 2.1), a nin h-cen u y map o
an ideal Ca olingian monas e y, oday housed in he S i sbiblio hek o S .
Gall, illus a es his well. Abou hal o he depic ed buildings do no se e
a eligious pu pose in he na ow sense, bu a he ca e o he daily needs
o a communi y o up o 350 souls.1 Smalle communi ies would likewise e-
qui e a simila se o buildings: s ables o di e en li es ock, s o age ooms,
ki chens, a bake y, and a b ewe y. While he compound depic ed on he Plan
o S . Gall was ne e ac ually buil , a leas no in he Middle Ages,2 i s a io
o eligious o economic buildings may be conside ed ypical o a medie al
monas ic complex o ha pe iod. I s s ables and s ock ooms we e illed wi h
he dues peasan s owed o he monas e y o wo king i s land o using i s
o es s, pas u es, and qua ies.
The bulk o a monas e y’s landed possessions was usually dona ed ea ly
in i s exis ence by powe ul pa ons, who we e o en guided by a numbe o
mo i es anging om pe sonal pie y o mo e ea hbound s a egic conside a-
ions. As a esul , he ies be ween he poli ical eli es and he ounda ion o
monas e ies in ea ly medie al Eu ope ended o be close ones. In his ega d,
2 The Ea ly Medie al Backg ound
No e-Dame de Soissons, Buchau
Abbey, and F aumüns e o Zu ich
This chap e has been made a ailable unde a CC-BY-NC-ND license
24 Ea ly Medie al S uc u es and he La e Medie al Economy
No e-Dame, Buchau, and F aumüns e we e again qui e ypical, as we e he
ci cums ances and mo i es leading o hei espec i e ounda ions.
No e-Dame de Soissons is he oldes o he h ee, ounded in he mid-
se en h cen u y by Eb oin († 680/681), mayo o he palace o Neus ia, and
Leu ude, his wi e.3 In his li e ime, Eb oin gained no o ie y as a u hless ule
who s o e o subjec Aus asia o Neus ia.4 His ounding a monas e y in
he Neus ian ma ches bo de ing Aus asia can be assumed o ha e s emmed
om bo h a desi e o claim powe and a need o pe sonal edemp ion. The
o igins o Buchau Abbey da e o he la e eigh h cen u y and we e closely
connec ed o he inc easing F ankish pene a ion o Alemannia a ha ime.5
Schola s ha e long ecognized how emale monas e ies se ed o en ench
and solidi y F ankish powe in his pe iod.6 Usually go e ned by a F ankish
p incess who adminis e ed he lands he monas e y owned, hese con en s
we e places whe e he child en o he local nobili y we e educa ed and whe e
he memo ia o hei uling F ankish pa ons was kep .7 Bo h Buchau and
F aumüns e we e ypical examples o such ounda ions. Howe e , he oun-
da ion o F aumüns e -Abbey di e ed in bo h size and impo ance. In 853,
King Louis he Ge man ounded he abbey and dona ed all o his e i o ial
possessions in he egion o Zu ich and U i o his monas e y, and he es ed
i s abbesses wi h a - anging au ho i ies.8 The abbess o F aumüns e ac ed
as a oyal go e no who emained on-si e while he king a eled his ealm
and who kep Zu ich a sa e cu is egia o he oyal en ou age on hei way
o Rome.9
Figu e 2.1 Schema ic ende ing o he Plan o S . Gall.
Sou ce: Au ho .
The Ea ly Medie al Backg ound 25
***
Whe eas he gene al ocus o his monog aph lies on he la e Middle Ages,
his chap e will explo e he ea ly medie al o igins o No e-Dame de Sois-
sons, Buchau Abbey, and F aumüns e Abbey. In o de o e alua e hei la e
de elopmen , which will be he subjec o he ollowing chap e , one needs o
unde s and he con ex o hei espec i e ounda ions, which p o ided hem
wi h he lands and egalia hey would, o he mos pa , s ill dispose o hal
a millennium la e .
No e-Dame de Soissons
The his o iog aphy has all bu o go en abou No e-Dame de Soissons. No
mode n s udy sheds ligh on his once powe ul nunne y whose abbesses ap-
poin ed p ies s, wielded low, middle, and high jus ice, sen soldie s o wa ,
and managed hund eds o se -peasan s, and again ha many ie -holde s o
all social anks. Today, only a single wall o he abbey chu ch, bea ing wo
la ge Romanesque windows, hin s a he imp essi e dimensions o he o me
compound loca ed in he hea o Soissons, close o he Ri e Aisne. A he
peak o i s medie al weal h, he abbey housed an a e age o 200 women. In
addi ion o he usual buildings – he abbey chu ch and a ious li ing qua e s
and economic buildings – an aqueduc , buil in he ele en h cen u y, b ough
unning wa e o No e-Dame’s inhabi an s.10 The hi een h cen u y saw he
building o a new p ison o abbey subjec s awai ing ial and o unnels
which connec ed he clois e o he ou side wo ld, allowing o sec e access
o escape in case o a ci y siege.11
In i s ime, No e-Dame was no only powe ul, bu also amous. I p o-
ided he bluep in o he ounda ion o he impe ial abbey o He o d,
he oldes impe ial nunne y in he Duchy o Saxony.12 And No e-Dame e-
mained an impo an playe in Soissonaise his o y h oughou he Middle
Ages. Howe e , unlike He o d, No e-Dame has ecei ed no schola ly a -
en ion in i s own igh .13 The easons o his a e wo old. As a gene al ule,
his o ians o medie al monas icism once dismissed nunne ies as ha ing only
seconda y impo ance, and he e o e long bypassed hem. And al hough e-
cen schola ship has shed mo e ligh on he long o e looked in luence o e-
male monas ic communi ies, his p ocess has only ecen ly begun o F ench
nunne ies.14
Wha complica es hings u he in he case o No e-Dame is ha no
only he abbey’s his o y has emained ou o he spo ligh , bu also, o he
mos pa , ha o he ci y which was home o he nuns. Soissons was one o
he mos impo an ci ies o he Me o ingian Empi e. Toge he wi h Pa is,
i o med he poli ical and s a egical cen e o he F ankish subkingdom o
Neus ia.15 The e o e, he ci y’s ea ly medie al his o y has been he subjec
o some s udy.16 Howe e , al hough Soissons emained a cul u al, economic,
and ecclesias ical cen e o no he n F ance h oughou he Middle Ages, no
comp ehensi e u ban his o y o Soissons exis s aside om Bou gin’s 1908
32 Ea ly Medie al S uc u es and he La e Medie al Economy
complex ou las ed he Roman Empi e, and, by he nin h cen u y, Zu ich
had g own in o a so o capi ol o sou he n Alemannia.65 A ha ime, a
oyal dona ion e lec ed Zu ich’s g owing s a egic impo ance. On July 21,
853, Louis he Ge man ans e ed his possessions in he a ea o a women’s
monas e y. The king’s endowmen comp ised he cu is Tu egum, ha is,
Zu ich, along wi h wide- eaching possessions loca ed in he mode n-day
Swiss can ons o Aa gau and Luze n, along wi h he Albis o s , consis ing
o as swamp lands and o es s in oday’s can on o Zug and he lands o
U i. F aumüns e ’s endowmen o med a ela i ely connec ed e i o y which
comp ised 55 illages wi h abou 120 se s.66
The king appoin ed his daugh e Hildega d as abbess and es ed he wi h
all he immuni ies cus oma y o p op ie a y monas e ies o he pe iod.67
When Hildega d died only h ee yea s in o he abbacy, he younge sis e ,
Be ha, succeeded he on he abba ial h one and go e ned he abbey un il
877. The abbey’s chu ch was buil du ing Be ha’s enu e, and he a he ,
he king, dona ed u he possessions, namely he cu is egia o Cham, lo-
ca ed in he mode n-day can on o Zug.68 In 877, Richa dis succeeded Be -
ha. F aumüns e ’s hi d abbess is ano he example o he close ies be ween
oyal households and con en s and he ambiguous lay cha ac e o a g ea
many noble Ca olingian abbesses. Richa dis was he wi e o Cha les III, who,
in u n, was he son o Louis he Ge man. She was hus he sis e -in-law o
he wo p edecesso s. Like Be ha be o e he , Richa dis simul aneously also
se ed as abbess o Säckingen, ano he impo an Alemanni con en .69 Mo e-
o e , Richa dis go e ned he Alsa ian con en o Andlau, which was also he
main place o esidence, along wi h S . Ma inus in Pa ia and he male con-
en o Zu zach. And while Cha les III amously ied o di o ce Richa dis
in 881, hey emained legally ma ied un il his dea h le he a widow in 888.
Richa dis was hus no a clois e -nun, bu a he a lay go e no o hese i e
oyal monas e ies, all o which possessed as e i o ies in s a egically im-
po an egions o he kingdom.70
Howe e , le us e u n o Zu ich and he ounda ion o F aumüns e Ab-
bey. Why did Louis he Ge man choose his loca ion o he only pe sonal
monas ic ounda ion o his eign?71 As o any a is oc a ic monas ic ounda-
ion o ha pe iod, one key elemen was he conce n o secu e his dynas ic
memo ia.72 Bu he choice o loca ion was owed o s a egic and p ac ical de-
libe a ions.73 Louis needed eliable ep esen a i es o his au ho i y in sou h-
e n Alemannia, ones who would ensu e his agency du ing his p olonged
absences.74 Ea ly medie al ule s had nei he a capi ol om which hey uled
no could hey ely on an adminis a ion and bu eauc acy in he mode n
sense. Ins ead, hey we e i ine an and hei cou s mo ed om pala ina e
o pala ina e.75 In hei absence om a gi en egion, he ule s he e o e de-
pended on a ne wo k o people o ensu e hei au ho i y, o collec axes, and
o keep he peace. As obse ed al eady in he case o Buchau, monas e ies
we e a o ed ep esen a i es, as hei communi y and hei abbess o abbo
ended o emain on si e.76

The Ea ly Medie al Backg ound 33
While he geopoli ical alliance be ween i ine an ule s and mo e local
ecclesias ics was essen ial o ea ly medie al go e nmen in gene al, his
was pa icula ly he case du ing he eign o Louis he Ge man (843–876).
Following he T ea y o Ve dun (843), which di ided he F ankish Empi e
in o h ee subkingdoms, Louis he Ge man became king o Eas F ancia.
Howe e , his kingdom was economically and s uc u ally unde de eloped
in compa ison o Middle and Wes F ancia. Mo eo e , only a ac ion o he
poli ical and ecclesias ical eli es we e loyal o Louis, while an impo an pa
emained in a o o his b o he (and enemy) Lo ha .77 In his new and as ye
uns able kingdom, Louis needed us wo hy ep esen a i es and media o s
o his powe . Thus, he king’s ecclesias ical policy was o place loyal men and
women in he mos in luen ial bishop ics and monas e ies.78 Al hough Louis’
main e i o ies we e in F anconia and Ba a ia, Alemannia was o pa icula
s a egic impo ance.79 His h ee daugh e s would all go e n Alemanni con-
en s: I menga d p esided o e Buchau, and Hildega d and Be ha consecu-
i ely go e ned Louis’ only pe sonal monas ic ounda ion in Zu ich.80
As alluded o abo e, Louis’ choice o Alemannia in gene al and Zu ich
in pa icula was he esul o s a egic delibe a ions closely ied o he geo-
g aphical eali ies a e he T ea y o Ve dun. Ag eed in 843, en yea s be o e
he ounda ion o F aumüns e , he said ea y di ided he F ankish Empi e
among he sons o Louis he Pious. Cha les he Bald, he younges o he
h ee b o he s, ob ained Wes F ancia. Lo ha I, he oldes and hus bea e
o he impe ial i le, hence o h uled Middle F ancia, and Louis, whom his
a he had o me ly disinhe i ed, succeeded o win Eas F ancia o himsel in
a bloody ba le agains Lo ha .81 The 843 di ision o he empi e made Zu ich
a place close o he bo de o Middle F ancia, a bo de which Louis would
quickly seek, and e en ually succeed, o push u he wes .82 Mo eo e , Zu-
ich was en ou e o he Go ha d Pass, one o he main ou es o I aly.83 Bo h
he p oximi y o he wes e n on ie and i s loca ion on he oad o I aly
we e hus c ucial ac o s o Louis’ choice.84
The ies be ween he F aumüns e and he ule s emained close h ough-
ou he ea ly Middle Ages, and hey con inued o be so unde he O onian
and Salian dynas ies. Du ing a isi on his I alian campaign, O o I g an ed
he abbey immuni y in Ma ch 952, eeing i om any obliga ions o and
legal claims o o he s, whe he bishops o nobles.85 F aumüns e was subjec
only o he king (o empe o ). And in his absence, he impe ial Vog , an o -
ice adi ionally held by he duke o Alemannia, was o assis he abbess in
ju idical and adminis a i e ma e s.86 The abbess o F aumüns e was hus
legally mo e independen in he daily ac ions han he abbess o Buchau,
who was unde he au ho i y o he nea by bishop o Cons ance. In Zu ich,
he abba ial posi ion con inued o be solidi ied h oughou he i s decades
o he ele en h cen u y, which saw a high numbe o oyal isi s as he kings
a eled o I aly. Be ween 1045 and 1055, King Hen y III o en esided in
Zu ich and es ed he abbess wi h he egalia du ing one o his isi s.87 The
abbess hence o h min ed he ci y’s cu ency, which bo e he po ai , she se
34 Ea ly Medie al S uc u es and he La e Medie al Economy
and le ied du ies, and held ma ke s. By he mid-ele en h cen u y, she was,
e ec i ely, he ci y’s oyal go e no .
This i s peak o powe was bu a sho one. When I aly became less
impo an wi hin impe ial poli ics in he second hal o he ele en h cen u y,
he ule s’ in e es in Zu ich and he impo ance o he ci y as a pala ina e
declined acco dingly.88 The oyal absence and he esul ing powe acuum
in he egion allowed he dukes o Zäh ingen and hose o S au en o con es
hegemony in Swabia. In 1059, he Zäh inge ob ained he o ice o he impe-
ial ad oca eship o Zu ich (Reichs og ei), which hey used o expand hei
au ho i y.89 Th oughou he ele en h and wel h cen u ies, he Zäh inge
buil hei Swabian powe on u ban au ho i y. They ounded a numbe o
ci ies, including F eibu g im B eisgau (1120), F ibou g (1151), and Be n
(1191), and hey sough o subjec ex an ci ies o hei au ho i y. In Zu ich,
hey came o dispu e he abbess’ igh o min coins which hey claimed o
hemsel es, along wi h he au ho i y o e he abbey’s own o ice s, including
he iudices and illici.90 While he Zäh inge ailed o en i ely s ip he abbess
o he secula powe , she had los mos o he egional in luence o he dukes
by 1200.91 The poli ical decline o F aumüns e migh ha e con inued i i
hadn’ been o genealogical (mis) o une. In 1218, he Zäh inge dynas y
died ou , and his allowed he abbesses o F aumüns e o ise o powe
again.
In a di e en a ea, he F aumüns e nuns ac ually had bene i ed om
he changing imes o he wel h cen u y. In he con ex o he In es i u e
Con o e sy, he abbey succeeded in eeing i sel om impe ial pa onage.92
Ra he han being oyally appoin ed, abbesses we e hence o h elec ed om
among he con en ’s communi y o nuns, and he bishop o Kons anz conse-
c a ed he abbess elec a, who a e he ac e e ed o he sel as con i ma a.93
As a esul o hei independence, he con en also a ained comple e con ol
o e he abbey’s e enues.94 This b ough economic elie o he communi y,
which was used o as annual paymen s o he king, who had emained
he p op ie o o mos o he abbey’s possessions un il he wel h cen u y.95
E en ually, wi h bo h he Zäh inge and much o he economic es ain s
gone, he abbey and he abbesses ose again o be he ci y ule s o Zu ich –
howe e , only o a sho while.
No es
1 Lynda L. Coon, Da k Age Bodies: Gende and Monas ic P ac ice in he Ea ly
Medie al Wes (Philadelphia, PA: Uni e si y o Pennsyl ania P ess, 2011), 170.
2 Nea Kons anz, a eam o en husias s and schola s a e building a monas e y ac-
co ding o he Plan o S . Gall using only medie al ools. The p ojec is scheduled
o ake se e al decades. Fo mo e in o ma ion, see h ps://www.campus-galli.de.
3 AdA H 1506, ol. 34 .
4 Johannes Fische , De Hausmeie Eb oin (Chemni z: Wilkau-Haßlau, 1954), 7–16.
5 I mga d Dienemann-Die ich, “De änkische Adel in Alemannien im 8. Jah hun-
de ”, in: G und agen de alemannischen Geschich e. Vo äge und Fo schungen,
The Ea ly Medie al Backg ound 35
ol. 1, ed. Kons anze A bei sk eis ü mi elal e liche Geschich e (Sigma ingen:
Jan Tho becke Ve lag, 1952); o mo e speci ic e e ences, see he sec ion below
engaging wi h Buchau.
6 C . bibliog aphical e e ences h oughou his chap e , especially in he con ex s
o he ounda ion o F aumüns e and Buchau.
7 I ene C usius, “Im Diens e de Königshe scha . Königinnen, Königswi wen und
P inzessinnen als S i e innen und Äb issinnen on F auens i en und –klös e n,”
in: Nonnen, Kanonissen und Mys ike innen. Religiöse F auengemeinscha en in
Süddeu schland. Bei äge zu in e disziplinä en Tagung om 21. Bis 23. Sep em-
be 2005 in F auenchiemsee, ed. E a Schlo heube , Helmu Flachenecke , and
Ing id Ga dill (Gö ingen: Vandenhoeck und Rup ech , 2008), 61–62; 68.
8 Be nha d Theil, Das ( eiwel liche) Damens i Buchau am Fede see, Ge mania
Sac a. Neue Folge 32. Bis um Kons anz 4 (Be lin and New Yo k: De G uy e ,
1994), 217.
9 Ch is ine Ba aud Wiene , “Diessei s und jensei s de Limma ,” in: Das F aumün-
s e in Zü ich. Von de Königsab ei zu S ad ki che, ed. Pe e Niede häuse and
Döl Wild (Zü ich: Ch onos Ve lag, 2012), 18.
10 AdA H 1506, ol. 70 ; 83, 84 .
11 AdA H 1506, ol. 81, 83 ; and Michel Ge man, His oi e de l’abbaye Royale de
No e-Dame de Soissons, de l’O d e de Sain Benoi . Di isée en qua e Li es.
A ec les P eu es, e Plusieu s Ti es, i ez des A chi es de ce e Abbaye (Pa is:
Jean-Bap is e Coigna d, 1675), 91–92.
12 Ge man, His oi e de No e-Dame, 2. Fo He o d, see, among o he s, Raine
Pape, Sanc a He o dia: Geschich e He o ds on den An ängen bis zu Gegenwa
(He o d: Busse Ve lagsbuchhandlung, 1979).
13 An a icle by Anne L. Cla k engages wi h he p ecious elics he nuns o No e
Dame owned ha we e dona ed o hem a e he Fou h C usade. Anne L. Cla k,
“Gua dians o he Sac ed: The Nuns o Soissons and he Slippe o he Vi gin
Ma y,” Chu ch His o y 76, no. 4 (2007): 724–749.
14 Some ecen examples engaging wi h F ench emale monas icism include Be man,
Whi e Nuns; Edwa ds, Supe io Women; and S e en Vande pu en, Da k Age
Nunne ies: The Ambiguous Iden i y o Female Monas icism, 800–1050 (I haca,
NY: Co nell Uni e si y P ess, 2018).
15 Michel Rouche, “Rema ques su la Géog aphie His o ique de la Neus ie (650–
850),” Beihe e de F ancia 16, no. 1 (1989): 1–23.
16 Reinhold Kaise , Bischo she scha zwischen Königs um und Fü s enmach .
S udien zu bischö lichen S ad he scha im wes änkisch- anzösischen Reich
im ühen und hohen Mi elal e (Bonn: Ludwig Röh scheid Ve lag, 1981),
589–597, especially no es on pp. 590–591.
17 Geo ges Bou gin, La commune de Soissons e le g oupe communal soissonnais
(Pa is: H. Champion, 1908).
18 Dominique Roussel’s exca a ion epo om 2002 sheds some ligh on his
in e connec ion. Dominique Roussel, Soissons. Documen s d’é alua ion du
pa imoine a chéologique des illes de F ance. Soissons (Pa is: Edi ions du
pa imoine, 2002).
19 I was long assumed ha Eb oin was o humble o igins. While his hypo hesis
is ou da ed, no hing is known o ce ain abou Eb oin’s backg ound. Fische ,
Hausmeie Eb oin, 76–79; and Ing id Heid ich, “Les Mai es du Palais Neus iens
du Mileu du VIIe au Milieu du VIIIe siècle,” Beihe e de F ancia Bd. 16, no. 1
(1989): 217.
20 Heid ich, “Les Mai es,” 217; 220.
21 Fische , Hausmeie Eb oin, 176.
22 Heid ich, “Les Mai es,” 222; and F ied ich P inz, F ühes Mönch um im F ank-
en eich. Kul u und Gesellscha in Gallien, den Rheinlanden und Baye n am
36 Ea ly Medie al S uc u es and he La e Medie al Economy
Beispiel de monas ischen En wicklung (4. bis 8. Jah hunde ) (München and
Wien: R. Oldenbou g Ve lag, 1965), 128–129.
23 Rouche, “Rema ques,” 7.
24 AdA H 1506, ol. 34 .
25 Fo ge ies g an ing ex ended igh s and legi imizing i wi h a long adi ion we e a
common phenomenon in medie al Eu ope. In la e imes, No e Dame’s exemp
s a us would be subjec o con lic s wi h he bishop o Soissons and he Ca hed al
Chap e – a ac ha also sugges s ha his ea ly cha e may be a o ge y. Fo
o ge ies in gene al, see Fälschungen im Mi elal e . In e na ionale Kong ess de
Monumen a Ge maniae His o icae, München, 16–19. Sep embe 1986, ol. 1
(Hano e : Hansche, 1988), especially Elisabe h A. R. B own, “Falsi as pia si e
ep ehensibilis. Medie al Fo ge s and Thei In en ion,” 101–119. And mo e e-
cen ly, Cons ance B. Boucha d, Rew i ing Sain s and Ances o s. Memo y and
Fo ge ing in F ance, 500–1200 (Philadelphia, PA: Uni e si y o Pennsyl ania
P ess, 2015).
26 AdA H 1506, ol. 34 .
27 AdA H 1506, ol. 35 .
28 AdA H 1506, ol. 36 and ol. 33 ., .
29 AdA H 1506, ol. 33 – . See also Chap e 3.
30 A lis o No e Dame’s ea lies possessions is ound in he 858 con i ma ion o
Cha les he Bald, AdA H 1506, ol. 33 ., .
31 This would ha e been a common policy o win he loyal y o ins i u ions ounded
by de ea ed enemies. C usius has shown his o Cha lemagne a e he o e h ew
Tassilo in Ba a ia in he la e eigh h cen u y: C usius, “Im Diens e de Königshe -
scha ,” 61–62. Tha bo h Me o ingian and Ca olingian nobles sen hei daugh-
e s o No e Dame and, along wi h hem, made gene ous dona ions seems no
only likely bu is also sugges ed by No e Dame’s se en een h-cen u y his o ian
who had access o he abbey’s a chi es now los . Ge man, His oi e de No e-
Dame, 23–24.
32 Acco ding o Michel Ge man, hey we e las men ioned in a ea y wi h he abbo
o Laon in 1164. His oi e de No e-Dame, 26–27. Fo he e i o ial poli ics o
No e Dame’s la e medie al abbesses, see Chap e 3.
33 Ge man, His oi e de No e-Dame, 3–4; 15.
34 Ge man, His oi e de No e-Dame, 15; and P inz, F ühes Mönch um, 129. Fo
a b ie o e iew o he e o m o F ankish monas icism, see Ge Mel ille, The
Wo ld o Medie al Monas icism: I s His o y and Fo ms o Li e, ans. James D.
Mixson (College ille, MN: Cis e cian Publica ions, 2016), 38–49. Fo a c i ical
e eading o he e o m, especially in ega d o emale monas icism, see: Vande -
pu en, Da k Age, 13–20.
35 ADA H 1508, ol. 33 .
36 ADA H 1508, ol. 33 .
37 ADA H 1508, ol. 56 .
38 Ge man, His oi e de No e-Dame, 226.
39 Ge man, His oi e de No e-Dame, 118; 119–124.
40 Theil, Damens i Buchau, 49–50.
41 Theil, Damens i Buchau, 31; 36.
42 Vande pu en, Da k Age, especially he his o iog aphical summa y, 4–8.
43 Theil, Damens i Buchau, 54; 67–69.
44 Ne e heless, he dis inc ion be ween nunne ies and S i e, as communi ies o
canonesses a e called in Ge man, con inues o play an impo an ole in Ge manophone
his o iog aphy, especially wi hin Landesgeschich e. C . In oduc ion.
45 Vande pu en, Da k Age, 11–36.
46 This is ue in gene al, c . no e 44 abo e, bu Theil has also shown i o Buchau
in pa icula ; Theil, Damens i Buchau, 102.
The Ea ly Medie al Backg ound 37
47 Rudol Schie e , Ch is ianisie ung und Reichsbildungen. Eu opa 700–1200
(München: C.H. Beck, 2013), 18; 21–22; Sönke Lo enz, “Die Alemannen
au dem Weg zum Ch is en um,” in: Die Alemannen und das Ch is en um:
Zeugnisse eines kul u ellen Umb uchs, ed. Sönke Lo enz and Ba ba a Scholk-
mann (Lein elden-Ech e dingen: DRW-Ve lag, 2003), 66–68. Fo an o e iew in
English o he F ankish expansion in o and Ch is ianiza ion o Cen al Eu ope,
see Richa d Fle che , The Ba ba ian Con e sion. F om Paganism o Ch is iani y
(New Yo k: Hen y Hol and Company, Inc., 1997), especially Chap e s 6–8.
48 Fle che , Ba ba ian Con e sion, 193–227; o Alemannia, Lo enz, “Die
Alemannen,” 72–73.
49 Dienemann-Die ich, “De änkische Adel,” 190.
50 The e is an abundance o schola ship engaging wi h all aspec s o he F ankish
Empi e, i s expansion, and he close ies o Ch is ian missions. Fo he egion o
Alemannia/Swabia in which Buchau was loca ed, see, among o he s, Lo enz, “Die
Alemannen,” 65–112; and Die e Geuenich, “Alemannien im 6.–8. Jah hunde ,”
in: Mission und Ch is ianisie ung am Hoch- und Obe hein (6.–8. Jah hunde ),
ed. Wal e Be schin, Die e Geuenich, and Heiko S eue (S u ga : Jan Tho becke
Ve lag, 2000), 23–34.
51 Eckha d Hauswald, Pi min Sca apsus, Monumen a Ge manie His o ica. Quellen
zu Geschich e des Mi elal e s. Band 25. Pi min Sca apsus (Hanno e : Hahnsche
Buchhandlung, 2010), xiii– i ; x ii.
52 I missions e e o ini ial con ac be ween a non-Ch is ian popula ion and he
Gospel, Ch is ianiza ion e e s o he p ocess o g adual con e sion o he popu-
la ion and he pe mea ion o he land by ecclesias ical s uc u es; Lo enz, “Die
Alemannen,” 66. Fo Alemannia, he eigh h cen u y was a u ning poin . I Ch is-
ianiza ion had only been spo y be o e, by he mid-eigh h cen u y, Alemannia
had become i mly inco po a ed in o he F ankish Empi e and i s g owing ec-
clesias ical in as uc u es was an inc easingly homogenous pa o he Impe ial
Chu ch; Lo enz, “Die Alemannen,” 88; 111. Du ing Cha les Ma el’s enu e as
majo domo, he ebellions o he Alemanni con inued. I would be Ma el’s sons
Ca loman and Pepin he Sho who secu ed he inal submission o Alemannia in
746. Geuenich, “Alemannien,” 32–33.
53 Geuenich, “Alemannien,” 31–32.
54 The Handbuch de Kollegials i e in Baden-Wü embe g, which co e s all ec-
clesias ical ounda ions in Swabia, shows jus how dense he Swabian ne wo k
was. Sönke Lo enz, Oli e Auge, and Sig id Hi bodian (eds.), Handbuch de
Kollegials i e in Baden-Wü embe g (Os ilde n: Jan Tho beke, 2019). Fo a
map o monas ic ounda ions in Alemannia un il 730, see Al ons Ze le , “F agen
zu äl e en Geschich e on Klos e Säckingen,” in: Be schin, Geuenich, and S eue
(eds.), Mission und Ch is ianisie ung, 36.
55 Michael Rich e , “Neues zu den An ängen des Klos e s Reichenau,” in: Zei sch i
ü die Geschich e des Obe heins, Bd. 144 (S u ga : W. Kohlhamme , 1996),
1–18, especially 3.
56 C usius, “Im Diens e de Königshe scha ,” 59.
57 Lo enz, “Die Alemannen,” 111.
58 Theil, Damens i Buchau, 45–46.
59 Siegel, S emmle , and Theil, U kunden des S i s, 9.
60 Theil, Damens i Buchau, 88.
61 Theil, Damens i Buchau, 118.
62 Theil, Damens i Buchau, 123. This was he ypical s uc u e o hese ypes
o ounda ions. Jan Ge chow, “Die ühen Klös e und S i e,” in: K one und
Schleie . Kuns aus Mi elal e lichen F auenklös e n. Ka alog zu Auss ellung, ed.
Kuns - und Auss ellungshalle de Bundes epublik Deu schland, Bonn und dem
Ruh landmuseum Essen (München: Hi me Ve lag GmbH, 2005), 158.

38 Ea ly Medie al S uc u es and he La e Medie al Economy
63 Theil, Damens i Buchau, 119–120; 125; 127; 144.
64 Annina Wyss Schildkench (ed.), Die mi el- und spä kaise liche Kleins ad
Zü ich/Tu icum, Monog aphien de Kan onsa chäologie Zü ich (Zü ich und
Egg: Baudi ek ion Kan on Zü ich, 2020), 37–38.
65 Wil ied Ha mann, Ludwig de Deu sche (Da ms ad : Wissenscha liche Buchge-
sellscha , 2002), 91; o he de elopmen o he coun y o Zu ich in Ca olingian
imes, see Michael Bo gol e, Geschich e de G a scha en Alemanniens in änkis-
che Zei (Sigma ingen: Jan Thobecke, 1984), 78–110.
66 Judi h S einmann, Die Benedik ine innenab ei zum F aumüns e und ih
Ve häl nis zu S ad Zü ich 853–1524 (S . O ilien: Eos Ve lag, 1980), 11; 15–16.
67 S einmann, Benedik ine innenab ei, 11.
68 Ha mann, Ludwig, 91.
69 Fo mo e in o ma ion on Säckingen, see F ied ich Wilhelm Geie , Die
G undbesi z e häl nisse des S i s Säckingen im ausgehenden Mi elal e (PhD
disse a ion: Uni e si ä Heidelbe g, 1931); and F idolin Jehle and Adelheid
Ende le-Jehle, Die Geschich e des S i es Säckingen (Aa au: Saue lände , 1993).
70 Simon MacLean, “Queenship, Nunne ies and Royal Widowhood in Ca olingian
Eu ope,” Pas and P esen 178, no. 1 (2003): 20–24; S einmann, Benedik in-
e innenab ei, 18; Guido Faccani and Philipp on C anach, “Zu zach (S i ),”
in His o isches Lexikon de Schweiz (HLS). Online: h ps://hls-dhs-dss.ch/de/
a icles/012124/2018-02-05/. Tha a lay abbess go e ned one o se e al con en s
was ypical a he han excep ional in Ca olingian imes.
71 To be p ecise, he king g an ed hese possessions o an al eady ex an con en ,
abou which we know no de ails o he han ha i exis ed. The ans e al o Louis’
possessions and he in es i u e o his daugh e as abbess has adi ionally been seen
as he e ounda ion o he nunne y; S einmann, Benedik ine innenab ei, 11–12.
72 Fo a concise desc ip ion o he na u e and concep o medie al dona ions and
memo ia, see Michael Bo gol e, “De König als S i e . S ei lich e au die
Geschich e des Willens,” in: S i ung und Memo ia, ed. Tillmann Lohse (Be lin:
Akademie Ve lag, 2012), 309–333, in pa icula 310–312.
73 Louis dona ed g ea weal h o a numbe o monas e ies and con en s. Indeed,
such pious dona ions we e an in eg al pa o his kingship. Howe e , F aumüns e
Abbey would be his only oyal ounda ion. Ha mann, Ludwig, 187–188; and
E ic J. Goldbe g, S uggle o Empi e. Kingship and Con lic Unde Louis he
Ge man, 817–876 (I haca, NY: Co nell Uni e si y P ess, 2006), 96–97; 157–158.
74 Cu sius, “Im Diens e de Königshe scha ,” 64.
75 Ma ios Cos ambeys, Ma hew Innes, and Simon MacLean, The Ca olingian
Wo ld (Camb idge: Camb idge Uni e si y P ess, 2011), 170–184.
76 O cou se, his s a emen is ela i e. Royal abbesses o ha pe iod some imes
adminis e ed mo e han one con en a a ime, as we ha e seen, and hey pa ook
in poli ical li e. Fo example, Ma ilda I (955–999), abbess o Quedlinbu g, ac ed
as egen o he kingdom (968–972 and 997–999) and accompanied he b o he
O o II o Rome in 981. Mo eo e , she was p esen a and e en hos ed a num-
be o Ho age (impe ial die s) h oughou he enu e. While Ma ilda is ce ainly
he mos powe ul and he bes documen ed example o such a p incess-abbess,
she was no unique. And he example shows ha abba ial li e a he ime was
ce ainly no clois e ed, no was i i mly ied o one loca ion. Ne e heless, in
compa ison o he bishops and abbo s o ha pe iod who would accompany he
king on mili a y campaigns, abbesses we e ce ainly mo e locally s able and p e-
sen han hei male coun e pa s. Ge d Al ho , “Gande sheim und Quedlinbu g.
O onische F auenklös e als He scha s- und Übe lie e ungszen en,” F ühmi -
elal e liche S udien 25, no. 1 (1991): 123–144.
77 Ha mann, Ludwig, 40–41; 43–44; and Goldbe g, S uggle o Empi e, 114–116;
119; 186–187.
The Ea ly Medie al Backg ound 39
78 Goldbe g, S uggle o Empi e, 96.
79 Ha mann, Ludwig, 88–93.
80 Ha mann, Ludwig, 77–78. Louis had a ou h daugh e , Gisela, o whom no hing
is known. Ha mann, Ludwig, 78. Ou side o Alemannia, Louis’ h ee daugh-
e s go e ned addi ional monas e ies in F anconia (Müns e schwa zbach) and in
Ba a ia (F auenchiemsee); Goldbe g, S uggle o Empi e, 197.
81 The wa be ween he h ee b o he s eached a climax in June 841 a he Ba le o
Fon enoy, whe e he combined a mies o Louis and Cha les decisi ely de ea ed
ha o Lo ha . As a esul o his ba le, he T ea y o Ve dun (843) di ided he
Empi e among he h ee b o he s; Ha mann, Ludwig, 37–38.
82 S einmann, Benedik ine innenab ei, 11; Cos ambeys, Innes, and MacLean,
Ca olingian Wo ld, 379–383; and Goldbe g, S uggle o Empi e, 233–262.
The di ision o Middle F ancia be ween Lo ha ’s h ee sons in 855 made Zu ich
an e en mo e s a egical loca ion, allowing access o a desi ed egion wi h a
weakened go e nmen .
83 Ha mann, Ludwig, 91.
84 In de ail, see Goldbe g, S uggle o Empi e, 263–334; mo e cu so ily, Ha mann,
Ludwig, 101; 120–122.
85 Ba aud Wiene , “Diessei s,” 16. Fo an o e iew o O o’s I alian policy and his
kingship o I aly (951–973), see Ge d Al ho , Die O onen. Königshe scha
ohne S aa (S u ga : Kohlhamme , 2000), 96–108.
86 S einmann, Benedik ine innenab ei, 17–18.
87 S einmann, Benedik ine innenab ei, 13; 28; and Ba aud Wiene , “Diessei s,”
17–18.
88 Ba aud Wiene , “Diessei s,” 18.
89 S einmann, Benedik ine innenab ei, 23; and Ba aud Wiene , “Diessei s,” 18.
90 S einmann, Benedik ine innenab ei, 29; 32–34.
91 Ba aud Wiene , “Diessei s,” 18.
92 S einmann, Benedik ine innenab ei, 35.
93 S einmann, Benedik ine innenab ei, 36; he elec ion p ocedu e is desc ibed in
de ail o he i s ime in a cha e om 1218, ZUB 13, n . 387.
94 Ba aud Wiene , “Diessei s,” 18.
95 S einmann, Benedik ine innenab ei, 16–17; 19–20.
DOI: 10.4324/9781003299905-4
By he hi een h cen u y, socie al and poli ical s uc u es had undamen ally
changed om hose o he ea ly Middle Ages. Neus ia had me ged in o he
kingdom o F ance, while Alemannia had become Swabia and exchanged
i s on ie s a us o a posi ion solidly wi hin he Holy Roman Empi e. Se -
lemen s had g own in o owns and ci ies. T ade and an inc easingly mon-
e ized economy allowed o he ise o new social g oups seeking poli ical
in luence and challenging exis ing s uc u es. One o he cen al ques ions
o his monog aph is whe he ea ly medie al monas ic s uc u es a ed well
in la e medie al socie y and economy – and i so, wha ac o s allowed hem
o do so. To add ess hese ques ions, I sugges o imagine success as a h ee-
ie ed podium: The i s ie o success was eached i a con en s ill exis ed
se e al cen u ies a e i s ini ial ounda ion; he second ie , i a monas e y
main ained i s s a us and weal h; and he hi d, i i , in ac , inc eased i s
weal h and in luence in hese changed ci cums ances. F aumüns e , Buchau,
and No e-Dame all a ained he i s ie – all h ee s ill exis ed in he la e
Middle Ages. And wo o h ee climbed he op o he podium.
***
This chap e will cen e on he e i o ial and economic e olu ion o he h ee
con en s in la e medie al Eu ope. I builds di ec ly on he p e ious chap-
e , and i will a gue ha while s uc u al de elopmen s we e an impo an
ac o , hey did no de e mine a con en ’s a e in he long e m. To a la ge
ex en , an ins i u ion’s success depended on i s leade s’ economic abili ies
and poli ical o esigh edness. Faced wi h undamen al economic changes
since he hi een h cen u y, i s adminis a ion needed o adap he con en ’s
economy – a p ocess ha usually ook mo e han a cen u y and was he e o e
a mul igene a ional e o . Second, i was pi o al o a con en o es ablish
and main ain ex e nal independence in combina ion wi h ela i e in e nal
peace. Finally, a las ing iden i ica ion o a con en ’s membe s wi h hei in-
s i u ion was impo an , especially in imes o c isis. The ollowing pages will
look closely a he e olu ion o each con en in he pe iod be ween ca. 1200
and 1450 while cen e ing on hose de elopmen s ha p o ed de e mining.
The ollowing does no ende a comp ehensi e accoun o he ins i u ions’
3 The Wo ldly Dominions o
Women Religious in La e
Medie al Eu ope
This chap e has been made a ailable unde a CC-BY-NC-ND license
The Wo ldly Dominions o Women Religious in La e Medie al Eu ope 41
la e medie al his o ies. Ra he , his chap e ocuses on selec de elopmen s
and he ins i u ions’ eac ions o hem. This is pa icula ly ue o he his o-
ies o F aumüns e and Buchau Abbey, as bo h ha e seen p e ious schola ly
engagemen s.
F aumüns e Abbey
F om i s ounda ion, F aumüns e had been endowed wi h a compa a i ely
con iguous e i o y s e ching om Zu ich along he sho es o Lake Zu ich
deep in o cen al Swi ze land (see Figu e 3.2). The abbey owned la ge de-
mesnes, as well as igh s o e he people wo king hem, and i ecei ed a la ge
a ie y o i hes as e enues. As was common in he ea ly Middle Ages, he
majo i y o hem we e paid in kind. The mos equen cu encies we e g ain,
wine, wax, and li es ock such as chickens and pigs. Cash paymen s, while
ex an , we e usually small, and hey made up only a ac ion o he abbey’s
incomes. Possessing as lands and collec ing plen i ul e enues while ha ing
o main ain only abou 11 nuns along wi h hei se an s, ea ly and high
medie al F aumüns e was by all means a weal hy and powe ul ins i u ion.
His o ical eali y was, o cou se, mo e complica ed. As discussed in
Chap e 2, p io o gaining i s independence om oyal pa onage du ing
he In es i u e Con o e sy in he wel h cen u y, he abbey did no ully
con ol i s own income. E ec i ely a p op ie a y con en , he king o em-
pe o could eely dispose o e he abbey’s e enues. And he ule s would
o en do so, o example, o pay hei daugh e s’ dow ies.1 And while he
abbey’s as landholdings and i s owne ship o Zu ich made he con en an
in luen ial agen in sou he n Swabia, he abbey’s poli ical weigh was closely
ied o Zu ich’s ole as an impe ial pala ine. A e he 1050s, Zu ich los i s
ole as cu ia egis. P olonged oyal absences c ea ed a powe acuum, which
was e en ually illed by Be hold II o Zäh ingen whom Hen y IV appoin ed
impe ial ad oca e in 1098.2
An impe ial ad oca e, some imes also e e ed o as impe ial baili o
ee e, was he local ep esen a i e o he king o empe o . As such, he wielded
he highes penal au ho i y, including dea h sen ences, and he was he pa on,
p o ec o , and adminis a o o he local c own lands. The impe ial ad oca e-
ship made Be hold II he ac ing go e no o he a ea. Se en y- i e yea s
la e , Be hold’s g andson, Be hold IV, addi ionally ob ained he ecclesias i-
cal ad oca eship o Zu ich’s chu ches, making he dukes o Zäh ingen he
de ac o lo ds o e bo h secula and ecclesias ical Zu ich.3 Meanwhile, he
abbess o F aumüns e ook a backsea and had o wa ch as he Zäh ingen
dynas y sough o es ablish hemsel es no only as lo ds o e Zu ich, bu also
o e he egion a la ge. Al hough he dukes o Zäh ingen ne e ob ained he
ducal i le o Swabia, hey came o hold much g ound in he egion and in
Bu gundy du ing he wel h cen u y. Today, hei he i age is s ill angible in
he a chi ec u e o he 12 ci ies hey ounded along he egion’s main ading
ou es. These ci ies include F eibu g im B eisgau, along wi h he Swiss owns
48 Ea ly Medie al S uc u es and he La e Medie al Economy
mid-sized owns – Sigma ingen, Ulm, Memmingen, and Ra ensbu g – all o
which we e wi hin 50 km o Buchau. By he la e Middle Ages, Uppe Swa-
bia, oughly he a ea no h o Lake Cons ance, was compa a i ely densely
popula ed. The egion bene i ed om he o e land ade ou es leading o
he impo an ai s o F ank u and Cologne o he no hwes and ia Lake
Cons ance connec ing o he majo ade ou es owa d sou he n Eu ope.37
This ne wo k o ade ou es allowed a high numbe o communi ies o p os-
pe , while hei densi y p e en ed any single own om p edomina ing.38 La e
medie al Buchau was si ua ed in he hea o Uppe Swabia, bu a some
dis ance om he egion’s main ading owns.
Al hough he abbey’s icini y emained u al also in he la e Middle Ages,
he se lemen ou side he abbey had g own in o a small own since he High
Middle Ages. This own is i s men ioned in a cha e o S . Gall Abbey in
1020. Th ee cen u ies la e , Buchau Town ob ained impe ial immediacy and
became legally independen om Buchau Abbey in 1320.39 Al hough he ci i-
zen y was hence o h subjec o oyal au ho i y only, he close p oximi y o
abbey and own led o equen con lic s. Usually, hese con lic s conce ned
ques ions o ju isdic ional delimi a ions, which peaked in he i s hal o he
i een h cen u y.40 Wi h he help o 43 ea ies ha we e concluded be ween
1376 and 1794, con en and own succeeded o se le in o a coexis ence wi h
clea ly es ablished bounda ies, e ec i ely p e en ing ei he one o hem o
gain powe o e he o he .41
Th oughou he Middle Ages, Buchau Abbey main ained i s independence
and succeeded o egula e i s in e nal and ex e nal ela ionship. Cul i a -
ing a ne wo k o di e en bene ac o s p e en ed one single pa on o gain
excessi e in luence. In his, Buchau di e ed om F aumüns e , which elied
successi ely on he kings and empe o s who we e also he con en ’s p op ie-
o s, and la e on he ci y, which was nominally i s subjec . In he i een h
cen u y, Buchau’s main allies we e he own o Ulm, he bishop o Cons ance,
and he Council o Basel.42 In 1448, bo h Buchau Abbey and Buchau Town
pu chased he ci izenship o Ulm in exchange o an annual paymen o 20
gulden.43 Ulm’s ci izenship b ough hem legal ad an ages, as i g an ed bo h
Buchaus he igh o counsel and suppo in legal ma e s.44 Na u ally, Bu-
chau Abbey also saw i s sha e o in e nal con lic s. These mainly conce ned
he ela ionship be ween chap e and he abbess.45 As wi h hei ex e nal
ela ions and again con a y o F aumüns e , Buchau ound ways o egula e
in e nal ma e s h ough legal ag eemen s.
Thanks o hese egula ions, con lic s be ween chap e and abbess did no
end o escala e. In he ou een h cen u y, he con en , ha is, he canon-
esses and canons wi h o ing igh s in Buchau’s chap e , es ablished i sel
as a second poli ical body wi hin he abbey. Upon he elec ion o Anna on
Weinbe g (1303–1353), abbess and con en concluded a con ac which de-
ailed hei espec i e p ebends and igh s.46 As o 1381, chap e and abbess
disposed o sepa a e seals, meaning ha ce ain legal ac ions, such as he
selling o land, hence o h equi ed he con i ma ion (i.e., he seal) o bo h

The Wo ldly Dominions o Women Religious in La e Medie al Eu ope 49
monas ic bodies. Such egula ions e ec i ely limi ed abba ial powe , bu hey
also in oduced in e nal checks and balances. Th ough hei igh o code e -
mina ion, he body eligious o Buchau ensu ed ha decisions conce ning he
abbey’s pa imony we e made consensually. A o mal ag eemen o abbess
and chap e o mee e e y F iday o discuss and decide join ly abou cu en
issues conce ning he ins i u ion u he bols e ed his p ac ice in 1427.47 In
he long e m, he di ision o Buchau’s in e nal powe ensu ed a medi a ed
pa imonial and economic policy.
The s o y o Buchau Abbey di e ed om ha o F aumüns e also in
e ms o i s pa imonial e olu ion. Th oughou he la e Middle Ages, Bu-
chau succeeded o a i m and in ensi y i s e i o ial ule (Figu e 3.3). Due
o he loss o Buchau’s oldes documen s, we know li le abou he abbey’s
ea ly possessions. Howe e , i s seigneu ies, which we e loca ed in a adius
o app oxima ely 30 km a ound Buchau, we e p obably pa o i s ounda-
ional endowmen .48 Buchau’s oldes comp ehensi e u ba ium, a mano ial
land egis e , da es om he second hal o he i een h cen u y, and i allows
insigh s in o he abbey’s la e medie al e i o ial de elopmen .49 Du ing he
hi een h and ou een h cen u ies, Buchau sold a numbe o ie s and land
pa cels o o he monas e ies.50 A ha poin in ime, Buchau seems o ha e
been s ee ing down a simila pa h as F aumüns e – selling o land o mee
inancial obliga ions.51 Howe e , con a y o F aumüns e , Buchau succeeded
in u ning hings a ound. In pa icula , du ing he i een h and six een h cen-
u ies, Buchau ac i ely acqui ed demesnes, cense igh s, and e en seigneu ial
p e oga i es, including he igh o appoin baili s and he igh o exe cise
ju isdic ion o e a numbe o illages he abbey also acqui ed a he ime. By
1499, he abbess exe cised high jus ice in he illages o Kanzach, Dü nau,
and Kappel, in addi ion o low jus ice, which she exe cised in close o 50
a ms eads and illages.52 The i een h cen u y ma ked a u ning poin in
Buchau’s his o y: om a e i o ial con en in decline, Buchau eeme ged as
a local seigneu ial au ho i y (Figu e 3.3a–c).
E en a he heigh o i s powe in he la e i een h cen u y, Buchau’s a ea
o in luence emained geog aphically con ined. The illages, demesnes, and
he abbey’s o he pa imony con inued o be si ua ed in he same adius o
abou 30 km a ound he abbey whe e also hei ea lies possessions had been
loca ed. Howe e , wi hin his ci cum e ence, Buchau’s abbesses and con en
connec ed hei indi idual possessions, expanded hei judicial igh s, and
hus success ully a i med hei au ho i y. The highes densi y o mano ial
possessions lay in he icini y o Buchau i sel and nea he own o Saulgau,
loca ed abou 12 km sou heas o Buchau.53 In addi ion o he abbey’s la e
medie al e i o ializa ion, ha is, i s acquisi ion o land o o m a connec ed
e i o y, he e olu ion o abba ial ju isdic ion bes shows Buchau’s consoli-
da ion o au ho i y.
The oldes documen shedding ligh on Buchau’s cou days is a cha e
p omulga ed in he wel h cen u y, which de ined he baili ’s judicial igh s
o e he abbey’s subjec s. The cha e s ipula ed he baili o hold cou once
50 Ea ly Medie al S uc u es and he La e Medie al Economy
Figu e 3.3 (a) Buchau’s pa imony in he hi een h cen u y. (b) Buchau’s pa imony
in he ou een h cen u y. (c) Buchau’s pa imony in he i een h cen u y.
Map design: Agnes Scho mann.
The Wo ldly Dominions o Women Religious in La e Medie al Eu ope 51
a yea , bu only wi h he explici consen o he abbess. O he ines collec ed
on cou days, he was o keep one- hi d, while he abbess ecei ed he emain-
ing wo- hi ds.54 By he ou een h cen u y, he si ua ion had changed, and
Buchau’s abbesses now egula ly sa cou hemsel es. A leas once a yea ,
he abba ial cou con ened o dispense jus ice o e Buchau’s subjec s.55 One
cen u y la e , he numbe o sessions had ipled. A 1434 cha e by Empe o
Sigismund e eals ha he abba ial cou sa h ee imes a yea a Buchau
Abbey and ha he abbess had he igh o punish anybody, including by
he use o o ce, who beha ed in a diso de ly manne on cou days.56 While
Buchau’s 12 mayo s assis ed he abbess, she o en p esided cou he sel .57
Abbesses and con en o la e medie al Buchau ac i ely consolida ed hei
ins i u ion’s mano ial and eudal au ho i ies h ough he acquisi ion o u he
lands and he in ensi ied exe cise o he abbesses’ judicial igh s. Also econom-
ically, Buchau was mo e p oac i e han he la e medie al F aumüns e . In he
i een h cen u y, he as majo i y o he dues ende ed o he abbey by bo h
i s se s and ee peasan s we e paid in cash; and paymen s in kind only played
a mino ole.58 The abbey hus success ully ansi ioned in o he new economic
o de . Mo eo e , h oughou he i een h cen u y, Buchau had consolida ed
and e en inc eased he abbey’s au ho i y. By 1500, he abbess appoin ed 11
p ies s, exe cised ju isdic ion o e 40 a ms eads, six illages, and owned he
ad oca eship o h ee owns by he la e i een h cen u y (Figu e 3.4).59
Figu e 3.3 Con inued
52 Ea ly Medie al S uc u es and he La e Medie al Economy
Al hough Buchau success ully consolida ed i s au ho i y h oughou he
i een h cen u y, he a ea whe e he abbey exe cised secula au ho i y e-
mained es ain . This was owed o he s uc u al si ua ion in Uppe Swabia
discussed ea lie . The densi y o u ban and monas ic cen e s s ymied he ex-
pansion o he e i o ial in luence o any one o hem. Whe eas he possibili-
ies o geog aphical expansion we e limi ed, local ins i u ions could ocus on
consolida ing hei e i o ial au ho i y wi hin hei espec i e se ing – and
in his, he abbesses and con en s o Buchau succeeded. Buchau’s i een h-
cen u y abbesses, membe s o he powe ul Swabian a is oc a ic amilies o
Gundel ingen, Mon o , and We denbu g, we e pa icula ly able manage s
– i was du ing hei adminis a ion ha Buchau saw i s economic and e -
i o ial comeback.60 O cou se, Buchau’s de elopmen was no a linea pa h
o success. Unsu p isingly o an ins i u ion wi h mo e han 700 yea s o
his o y by 1500, Buchau had seen a g ea numbe o in e nal and ex e nal
challenges, mos o which his chap e has only men ioned in passing.61 Bu
Buchau’s ema kable e i o ial and economic esu ec ion in he i een h
cen u y es i ies o i s capable long- e m and highly ci cumspec go e nmen s.
This chap e ’s conclusion will e isi he ac o s ha led o Buchau’s success.
Bu i s , we will u n o No e-Dame de Soissons, whose la e medie al de-
elopmen is he mos imp essi e o he h ee ins i u ions unde discussion.
Figu e 3.4 Buchau’s pa imony in he i een h cen u y wi h jus pa ona us. Map
design: Agnes Scho mann.
The Wo ldly Dominions o Women Religious in La e Medie al Eu ope 53
No e-Dame de Soissons
Ea ly No e-Dame de Soissons was mo e compa able o F aumüns e han o
Buchau, as bo h ins i u ions we e endowed wi h as e i o ial possessions.
Howe e , con a y o F aumüns e , No e-Dame’s ea ly pa imony did no
o m a connec ed e i o y (Figu e 3.5). As discussed in he p e ious chap e ,
a bulk o he abbey’s possessions lay a a g ea dis ance om Soissons, in he
Rhineland – se en ie s in Alsace, a illage in he lands o Wo ms, and 59
a ms eads nea Cologne.62 Abou 350 km sepa a e Soissons and Cologne.
E en on mode n oads, a elling his dis ance by oo would ake mo e
han 70 hou s (acco ding o Google Maps). In medie al Eu ope, wi h i s
unpa ed and unsa e oads, a elling such g ea dis ances ook much longe
and came wi h many isks, and i he e o e complica ed e ec i e adminis a-
ion. Despi e hese as dis ances and he challenges ha came wi h hem,
No e-Dame only aliena ed i s eas e n pa imony a e he wel h cen u y, a
which poin hey disappea ed om he abbey’s a chi es.63 Mo e in e es ing
han he ac ha hese dis an possessions we e e en ually sold is he ime
ame when his happened – p esumably a some poin du ing he hi een h
cen u y.
The hi een h cen u y was a u ning poin o No e-Dame’s mano ial
and seigneu ial adminis a ion, and his u ning poin has le ample aces
in he abbey’s ca ula y. A he ime, No e-Dame’s abbesses in ensi ied hei
adi ionally ac i e poli ics o e i o ializa ion. Al eady in he cen u ies ol-
lowing i s ounda ion, he abbey had acqui ed mo e dominions. Be ween he
nin h and he mid- hi een h cen u ies, No e-Dame ob ained a o al o 15
seigneu ies, mo e han doubling i s mano ial possessions om he o iginal 12
o 27.64 Al hough he exac da es o hei espec i e acquisi ion a e unce ain,
Figu e 3.5 No e-Dame’s nin h-cen u y possessions acco ding o he con i ma ion by
Cha les he Bald (858). Map design: Agnes Scho mann.

54 Ea ly Medie al S uc u es and he La e Medie al Economy
we can es ablish a ough imeline om oyal and papal con i ma ions and
o he cha e s. In 858, Cha les he Bald con i med he abbey’s o iginal 12
seigneu ies. In 1147, a papal con i ma ion o he abbey’s possessions by Eu-
gene III lis s en new seigneu ies in addi ion o hose con i med by Cha les
h ee cen u ies ea lie . Se e al cha e s, da ing be ween 1187 and 1240 and
conce ning pu chases and i he igh s in o m us abou he abbey’s owne -
ship o i e u he seigneu ies, namely Basse elle, Coup u, Me cin, Vaux,
and Saconin (Figu e 3.6) – es ablishing hei inal numbe a 27 by he mid-
hi een h cen u y.65
Because o he many egional di e ences, he e is no uni e sal de ini ion
o seigneu ie. Mos gene ally, a seigneu ie is a e i o y unde he au ho i y
o a gi en pe son o ins i u ion.66 In he cases o No e-Dame and he o he
ins i u ions discussed he e, a seigneu ie designa es a e i o y comp ising a
numbe o di e en s uc u es such as a able land, mills, ponds, o o es s.
This e i o y, which can a y in size om a ew squa e kilome e s o se -
e al hund ed squa e kilome e s, was gene ally unde he adminis a ion o
a mayo who, in u n, was appoin ed by and accoun able o he abbess.
Wi hin i s seigneu ie, No e-Dame enjoyed a numbe o legal p e oga i es,
including ju isdic ion, which in all bu wo cases comp ised he highes penal
au ho i y o wielding capi al punishmen .67 Abba ial high jus ice mos ly e-
mained legal heo y, howe e . In p ac ice, No e-Dame’s abbesses appoin ed
judges ins ead o si ing cou hemsel es. The abbesses also had he igh o
pa don sen enced c iminals, and ha was a p e oga i e No e-Dame’s ab-
besses epea edly a ailed hemsel es o .68 In a leas h ee seigneu ies, No e-
Dame’s abbesses also chose he ad oca us, and in wo she had he s a us o
iscoun ess – and hus enjoyed he highes secula au ho i y.69
Abba ial au ho i y was no limi ed o secula ma e s. O he o al 19 pa -
ishes whe e he abbess appoin ed he p ies h ough he jus pa ona us, se en
we e loca ed wi hin No e-Dame’s own seigneu ies (Figu e 3.6).70 In hose
seigneu ies, whe e he abbess had bo h seigneu ial and ecclesias ical p e oga-
i es, he au ho i y was he mos comp ehensi e: she wielded he legisla i e,
judicial, and execu i e powe s, and h ough choosing he pa ish p ies s, she
also assumed spi i ual esponsibili y o he subjec s. Rega ding he comp e-
hensi eness o abba ial au ho i y, No e-Dame’s abbesses we e as powe ul
as o he seigneu s. Indeed, in ce ain ega ds, hey we e e en mo e powe ul,
as lay seigneu s a ely nomina ed pa ish p ies s.
While No e-Dame’s ca ula y sheds only spo y ligh on he li e and ad-
minis a ion a he abbey, i is an unusually ich sou ce when i comes o
No e-Dame’s economic and e i o ial ac i i ies. Beginning in he waning
wel h cen u y and con inuing all h ough he hi een h, No e-Dame pu -
sued a ema kably ac i e poli ics o e i o ializa ion, a he end o which he
abbey s ood a he head o connec ed seigneu ies which o med clus e s o
e i o ial and spi i ual au ho i y (Figu e 3.6). Mo eo e , he nuns o No e-
Dame sough o connec hei seigneu ial lands also wi hin. Wi hin each sei-
gneu y, hey acqui ed land pa cel a e pa cel, pu chased neighbo ing houses
The Wo ldly Dominions o Women Religious in La e Medie al Eu ope 55
Figu e 3.6 No e-Dame’s seigneu ies and chu ches wi h jus pa ona us. Map design:
Agnes Scho mann.
and a ms eads, and hus consolida ed hei au ho i y wi hin hem as hey
g adually es ablished he abbey as he only landowne .
Among No e-Dame’s e i o ializing abbesses, Odeline de T achy (1256–
1273) is pa icula ly no ewo hy. Odeline came o he abbacy as a comp o-
mise. The elec ion o he p edecesso , Agnes o Che isy (1236–1256), had
caused a s i , as Agnes was he hi d consecu i e membe o he powe ul
Che isy-Bazoches amily who climbed he abba ial h one. Fea ing ha he
amily would gain oo much in luence o e he abbey, he nuns only ac-
cep ed Agnes, a e he la e made a signi ican concession o he con en . In
1239, he con en – ha is he body o nuns eligible o o e in he chap e –
ecei ed i s own seal. Hence o h, he con en ’s seal was equi ed in addi ion
o he abba ial seal o all con ac s pe aining o he abbey’s empo ali ies.
As a Buchau, also No e-Dame’s con en hus secu ed i sel a sea a he
able when i came o pa imonial decisions.71 While he p e equisi e o he
con en ’s consen o impo an decisions e ec i ely limi ed abba ial ule, he
in oduc ion o his sys em o checks and balances did no impede No e-
Dame’s consolida ion o e i o ial powe . I any hing, i helped secu e i , as
he consen o bo h abbess and chap e was necessa y o any majo acquisi-
ion (o sale), cu bing po en ial excesses. Despi e secu ing he igh s o code-
e mina ion, he con en s ill wan ed o a oid a Che isy-Bazoches monopoly.
Thus, a e he dea h in 1256, hey elec ed Odeline de T achy a he han
ano he membe o he Che isy-Bazoches amily. Al hough a comp omise
56 Ea ly Medie al S uc u es and he La e Medie al Economy
which b ie ly in e up ed he Che isy-Bazoches ule o he abbey, Odeline’s
abbacy was cen al o he consolida ion o No e-Dame’s e i o ies.72
The abbey’s ca ula y lis s 31 acquisi ions du ing Odeline’s enu e alone,
en o hem added lands wi hin he seigneu ie o Chaudun. By a , he bigges
pu chase was ha o a 360-a pens-sized o es in 1270.73 Th ee hund ed and
six y a pens a e abou 180 ha – o oughly he equi alen o 180 socce ields.
The possibili y o make such a la ge acquisi ion was a e. And i was expen-
si e. The p ice o he o es o Secannoy was a 4,100 li es – an imp essi e
sum ha e en a weal hy abbey, such as No e-Dame, was no eadily able o
pay all a once. To ob ain he o es none heless, No e-Dame joined o ces
wi h he monks o S .-Jean-de-Vigne, ano he weal hy Benedic ine monas e y
in Soissons. Toge he , he wo abbeys bough he o es , and all igh s ha
wen wi h i , om Raoul de Soissons. Raoul, b o he o he coun o Sois-
sons, made he sale so ha he could ollow his king o he Holy Land, in wha
would la e be known as he Eigh h C usade.74 C usading was expensi e, and
Raoul needed he money, while No e-Dame saw he oppo uni y o expand
hei seigneu ie o Chaudun. Mo eo e , he o es o Secannoy was an in es -
men ha would yield egula income om wood and hun ing igh s ha he
wo abbeys di ided among hemsel es.75
No e-Dame’s acquisi ions we e a ely o such an imp essi e size, how-
e e . Fo he mos pa , abbess and con en bough smalle uni s such as
ields, o ens, and igh s o e indi idual oads. Mo e ypical we e he pu -
chases o a g ange om he monks o S .-Jean-de-Vignes in 126176 o ha
o se e al small uni s o land bough om local landowne s, o en adjacen
o ields al eady in he abbey’s possession.77 As in Chaudun, Odeline and
he con en also ac ed in he seigneu ies o Jaignes, Changy, and Ressons.
He e, hey pu chased, among o he hings, nine a pen s (abou 4.5 ha) o
land loca ed in hei censi e, a mano wi h i s a able land; pieces o land,
including hei cens, ha is, he annual land en ; o jus a ying pieces
o a able land, along wi h he oads connec ing indi idual seigneu ies and
land holdings.78
E iden ly, he objec i e o hese endea o s was o g adually and las ingly
es ablish a monopoly o possession and au ho i y o e all he lands, i hes,
censes, and o he e enues wi hin he abbey’s seigneu ies. I he abbey was
he only land p op ie o , he only one collec ing i hes and censes, he only
owne o he local in as uc u e such as mills and o ens, hen No e-Dame
was consequen ly he undispu ed lo d o e hei seigneu ies and all o hei
pa s. Al hough No e-Dame’s e i o ializa ion policy peaked du ing he ab-
bacy o Odeline de T achy, i was a long- e m s a egy ha abbesses be o e
and a e Odeline also pu sued, spanning he en i e hi een h cen u y and
beyond.79 As a esul o his mul igene a ional e o , he abbey es ablished
a ne wo k o ai ly connec ed seigneu ies, chu ches, and demesnes in which
No e-Dame collec ed a a ie y o e enues, appoin ed p ies s, and exe cised
jus ice in a adius o oughly 60–65 km a ound Soissons (Figu e 3.7).
The Wo ldly Dominions o Women Religious in La e Medie al Eu ope 57
Figu e 3.7 No e-Dame’s pa imony in he la e ou een h cen u y. The as majo i y
o he abbey’s possessions we e loca ed in he icini y o Soissons. Map
design: Agnes Scho mann.
In e ms o s uc u al simila i ies, No e-Dame sha ed mo e ai s wi h
F aumüns e han wi h Buchau. This is ue ega ding he size o hei pa i-
mony, hei i al ies wi h local po en a es, and hei gene al economic se -up.
Simila o F aumüns e , No e-Dame con inued o collec a signi ican pa
o i s en s in kind in he la e Middle Ages. In he hi een h and ou een h
cen u ies, hese included hund eds o he ings, se e al hund ed li e s o wine,
cakes, eggs, and o cou se, la ge quan i ies o g ain.80 Howe e , con a y o
F aumüns e , No e-Dame began o di e si y i s e enues in he hi een h
cen u y by in es ing in he ci y o Soissons o inc ease hei egula mone a y
income. Beginning in he 1240s, ha is du ing he enu e o Agnes de Che isy
(1236–1256) and eaching a peak in he la e hi een h cen u y, No e-Dame
s a ed o pu chase en s.
A ypical example o such a en ag eemen is ha be ween Robe and
Izabelle Le Pignie and he abbey. In 1281, Robe and Izabelle sold 20 sous
o pe pe ual annual en o he abbess and con en o No e-Dame.81 The
p ice o his sale was a en li es. In o he wo ds, he couple ecei ed a one-
ime paymen o en li es in cash om he abbey and in e u n, hey ag eed
o pay No e-Dame 20 sous annually. Twen y sous a e he equi alen o one
li e. Tha is, a e en yea s o annual paymen s om Izabelle and Robe ,
he con en b oke e en, and om yea 11 on, No e-Dame made a p o i .82
The medie al sys em o selling and buying en s was simila o aking ou a
loan om a mode n bank. Al hough de ac o gene a ing an in e es , he en
64 Ea ly Medie al S uc u es and he La e Medie al Economy
been only wo canons, and also he numbe o canonesses was o en below he
ma ke o 12; Theil, Damens i Buchau, 89–90.
46 S AS Dep. 30/14 T 1 N . 6. Reges en 819–1500, cha e 19.
47 Theil, Damens i Buchau, 97.
48 Fo a map o Buchau’s ea ly medie al possessions, see h ps:// ulingwomen.ch/
opog aphien-de -mach /.
49 Buchau’s 1477 u ba ium has no been edi ed. I is held by he S aa sa chi Sig-
ma ingen, S AS Dep. 30/14 T 2 N . 1615.
50 Cha e s o such sales can be ound in, among o he s, Theil, Damens i Buchau,
200–206; 208–209; 211; Wü embe gisches U kundenbuch Online Band V.,
N . 1366; S and 17. Janua y 2016 (h p://www.wubonline.de/?wub=2018); S AS
Dep. 30/14 T 1 N . 2; Reges en 819–1500, cha e s 6, 148.
51 Rega ding he ques ion as o whe he Buchau aced economic ha dship in he
hi een h cen u y, see Theil, Damens i Buchau, 86–88.
52 See no e 59 o he comple e lis .
53 These mainly consis ed o se e al ields and a ms eads, men ioned in S AS Dep.
30/14 T 1 N . 6. Reges en 819–1500, cha e s 27, 47, 83, 121, 135, 405, 448,
472, 927.
54 Theil, Damens i Buchau, 84.
55 Theil, Damens i Buchau, 85.
56 S AS Dep. 30/14 T 1 N . 6; Reges en 819–1500, cha e 318.
57 Theil, Damens i Buchau, 92; Reges en 819–1500, cha e 618 g an s he abbess
he igh o con ene a cou comp ising he abbey’s 12 mayo s along wi h he
12 judged om Buchau. Examples o cases whe e he abbess uled he sel can
be ound in Reges en 819–1500, cha e s 294, 295, 534, and 630. Examples o
cases ha abbesses p esided o e oge he wi h he council o mayo s: Reges en
819–1500, cha e s 688, 701, 708, 746, 770, 841.
58 Less han hal o Buchau’s en s in he i een h-cen u y cha e s men ion paymen
in kind – usually in combina ion wi h money (75 ou o a o al o 167). Only 13
ou o 167 en ies men ion paymen s pu ely in kind – usually in he o m o g ain
and li es ock. Fo paymen s in kind, see S AS Dep. 30/14 T 1 N . 6; Reges en
819–1500, cha e s 16, 21, 426, 432, 523, 580, 606, 607, 638, 725, 767, 876, 903.
59 The abbess o Buchau exe cised ju isdic ion o e Buchau (pa ial), Assmannsha d , A -
enweile , Bi kenha d, B ackenho en, B aunenweile , Bühl, Die elho en, Die zenweile ,
Dü nau, Einöde nea F on eu e, Elligho en, Enne ach, F ome sweile , F ons e en,
G o h, Hagnau u , Hahnennes , Häuse n, Hegheim, Kappel, Langenschemme n,
Mie ingen, Mi elbuch, Moosheim, Musbach, Obe wyle , Oggelshausen, Renha d-
sweile , Reu e, Riedhausen, Röh wangen, Rüsseg, Schmalegg, Schweinhausen, S a -
langen, S e be g, S aßbe g, Tie enbach, Ummendo , Vollochmühle,Wi e sweile ,
Willenho en, Winkel, and Wol ha sweile . Buchau owned he ad oca eship o Kap-
pel, Obe wyle , and Rüsseg. Fo comple e sou ce e e ences, see da abase: h ps://
da a e se.ha a d.edu/da ase .xh ml?pe sis en Id=doi:10.7910/DVN/KTTSZ2.
60 Theil, Damens i Buchau, 226.
61 Fo mo e de ailed insigh s in o Buchau’s his o y o e en s, see Be nha d Theil’s
ex ensi ely ci ed monog aph; Theil, Damens i Buchau.
62 A lis o No e-Dame’s ea lies possessions is ound in he 858 con i ma ion o
Cha les he Bald; Ada H 1506, ol. 33 – .
63 Ge man, His oi e de No e-Dame, 26–27.
64 In 1147, Ma ilde II de Toulouse (1143–1162) ob ained a con i ma ion om Eu-
gene III o No e-Dame’s possessions. In addi ion o hose al eady men ioned
in he 858 con i ma ion by Cha les he Bald, he pope con i ms he possession
o Molincha , La au, Colesy, Mo sain, Chaudon, Chac ise, Jaignes, Bache al,
Noiseauland, and Cha igny; Ada H 1508, 50–51.

The Wo ldly Dominions o Women Religious in La e Medie al Eu ope 65
65 O cou se, all o No e-Dame’s seigneu ies also con inue o be men ioned ou side
o oyal and papal con i ma ions. The seigneu ies depic ed in Figu e 3.7 we e hus
all s ill in No e-Dame’s possession in he la e Middle Ages. The i s men ion o
Basse elle conce ns i hes and da es om 1222; AdA H 1508, 165; Coup u is i s
men ioned in 1187 in a ansac ion con i ming he ju idical igh s o he abbess;
AdA H 1508, 179; Me cin-e -Vaux is i s men ioned in 1213 in he con ex o
he abbey pu chasing a ineya d om he monks o Longpon ; AdA H 1508, 254;
and Saconin is i s men ioned in 1240, equally in he con ex o a ansac ion
wi h a neighbo ing abbey; AdA H 1508, 290.
66 A. Zangge , S. G üninge , G. Eglo , B. Andenma en, and G. Chiesi, “G undhe -
scha ,” in His o isches Lexikon de Schweiz (HLS). Online: h ps://hls-dhs-dss.
ch/de/a icles/008973/2013-10-01/.
67 In Jaignes, No e-Dame only held low and middle jus ice; in Pa gny, he abbey
exe cised high and hal o middle jus ice; and in all o he seigneu ies, he abbey
exe cised all h ee deg ees o jus ice.
68 See, o example, he pa doning o Hen ie de T ois Fon aines in 1342; Ada H
1508, 73.
69 This was he case o Saconin, Pa gny, and Cha ly; Ada H 1508, 289; 209; 169.
She was iscoun ess o Saconin (Ada H 1508, 289) and Ressons (Ada H 1508,
305). Howe e , conside ing he abbess’ a - anging ju idical igh s o e No e-
Dame’s seigneu ies, i is p obable ha she a leas in luenced he choice o ad o-
ca es o he o he seigneu ies also.
70 No e-Dame exe cised he jus pa ona us in Cou melles, Mo chain, and i s a ili-
a ed chu ch in Sommelens, Co cy, Couloisy, Chac ise, and Pa gny; Ada H 1508,
4; 50–51; 209. As he abbey’s ca ula y is he only sou ce ha has come down o
us, i is possible ha o he , now missing, documen s es i ied o he abba ial igh
o appoin ing p ies s also in addi ional seigneu ies.
71 Ge man, His oi e de No e-Dame, 183–185.
72 When Odeline chose o e i e in 1273 due o he ad anced age, he con en led o
a d aw: 32 o es ell o he abbey’s easu e , Ma gue i e de Canmenchon, and 34
o es o Adée de Bazoches. The nuns could no come o an ag eemen , and i ook
h ee yea s be o e Adée e en ually secu ed he papal nomina ion wi h he help o
he b o he , Milon, bishop o Soissons; Ge man, His oi e de No e-Dame, 197.
73 Ada H 1508, 192; 203–204; 207–209.
74 Ge man, His oi e de No e-Dame, 195.
75 Ge man, His oi e de No e-Dame, 195. Alas, we don’ know how he wo abbeys
di ided bo h adminis a ion and income om he o es amongs hemsel es.
76 Ada H 1508, 194–195.
77 In 1266, he abbey pu chased 80 essins o land adjacen o hei own p ope y;
Ada H 1508, 195–196; bu smalle lands we e also o in e es o he con en .
Tha same yea , No e-Dame bough h ee essins o land om “Hen y, called
Coun o C oy, and his wi e, Gile e”; Ada H 1508, 195. They also made such
indi idual acquisi ions in Chaudun; Ada H 1508, 196–197. All o hem we e
acqui ed a ound he yea 1266.
78 Ada H 1508, 186; Ada H 1508, 186–187; Ada H 1508, 186; Ada H 1508, 318–
320; and Ge man, His oi e de No e-Dame, 193.
79 Odeline de T achy’s p edecesso , Agnes de Che isy, accoun s o 14 en ies in
he ca ula y, and he successo , Adée de Bazoches, o 13. Fo he acquisi ions
o Adée de Bazoches, see Ada H 1508, 65–66; 110; 172–173; 197–198; 260;
o hose o Agnes de Che isy, see Ada H 1508, 63; 170; 180; 185; 192–194;
225–226; 243; 248.
80 AdA H 1508, 20; AdA H 1508, 26; AdA H 1508, 3.
81 AdA H 1508, 65.
66 Ea ly Medie al S uc u es and he La e Medie al Economy
82 O cou se, his schema ic explana ion does no conside in la ion. In imes o mon-
e a y dep ecia ion, which we e common in he la e Middle Ages, he ime i ook
an ins i u ion o become p o i able migh ha e been longe . Fo he no o iously
ins able mone a y economy, see he classical and pos humously published s udy
o Ma c Bloch, Esquisse d’une his oi e moné ai e de l’Eu ope (Pa is: A mand
Colin, 1954).
83 Na u ally, he e was deba e abou he mo ali y o he p ac ice al eady in he
Middle Ages, and medie al Chu ch o icials we e qui e awa e ha he en econ-
omy did no ac ually di e om o bidden o ms o usu y. See, among o he s,
Hans-Jö g Gilomen, “Das kanonische Zins e bo und seine heo e ische und
p ak ische Übe windung? Mi e 12. bis ühes 14. Jah hunde ,” in: Die ömische
Ku ie und das Geld: Von de Mi e des 12. Jah hunde s bis zum ühen 14. Jah -
hunde , ed. We ne Maleczeck (Os ilde n: J. Tho becke Ve lag, 2018), 405–449;
Hans-Jö g Gilomen, “Ch is liche Glaube und Ökonomie des K edi s im Spä mi -
elal e ,” in: Ökonomische Glaubens agen: S uk u en und P ak iken jüdischen
und ch is lichen Kleink edi s im Spä mi elal e , ed. Ge ha d Fouque and S en
Rabele (S u ga : F anz S eine Ve lag, 2018), 121–160; and R. Génes al, Rôle
des Monas è es comme E ablissemen s de C édi . E udié en No mandie du XIe à
la in du XIIIe siècle (Pa is: A hu Rousseau, 1901).
84 To my knowledge, no such accoun book has come down o us om No e-Dame;
hus, he only eco ds o No e-Dame’s en economy a e ound in he ca ula y,
which was compiled in wo s ages: he i s , p esumably in he la e i een h and
ea ly six een h cen u ies, he second in he mid-eigh een h cen u y. Mülle , Le ms.
ADA 1508, 120–126.
85 AdA H 1508, 165.
86 AdA H 1506, ol. 33 – .
87 A pa ial lis can be ound AdA H 1508, 40.
88 AdA H 1508, 65–66.
89 Dominique Roussel, Soissons. Documen s d’é alua ion du pa imoine a -
chéologique des illes de F ance (Pa is: Edi ions du pa imoine, 2002), 44.
90 Roussel, Soissons, 49.
91 Roussel, Soissons, 49.
92 Bou gin, La commune de Soissons, 23–34; 79–83.
93 O cou se, No e-Dame was no he only monas e y in Soissons. Howe e , in a
mu os, i was he mos powe ul one. S . Méda d and S . Jean-des-Vignes, wo
u he weal hy monas e ies, we e loca ed ou side he ci y walls – S . Jean o he
sou h and S . Méda d on he igh bank o he Aisne Ri e .
94 Roussel, Soissons, 55–57.
95 Roussel, Soissons, 57.
96 Th oughou he Middle Ages, Soissons and he Soissonais expe ienced de as a -
ing wa s. While no discussed he e, hese include Viking in asions, O onian con-
ques s, and he Hund ed Yea s’ Wa , o lis jus he mos amous ones.
97 The nume ous con lic s No e-Dame ough wi h bishops and coun s es i y o
bo h he i al ies and No eDame’s u ning o i s i als’ i als. Fo summa ies o
he con lic s ha ha e le aces in he ca ula y, see da abase: h ps://da a e se.
ha a d.edu/da ase .xh ml?pe sis en Id=doi:10.7910/DVN/KTTSZ2
98 This is no o say ha Buchau and No e-Dame did no ha e deb s – hey did,
as did mos p emode n ins i u ions. Howe e , as opposed o F aumüns e , hei
deb s we e no so hea y as o cause hem o ha e o aliena e co e asse s in o de
o epay hei c edi o s. Fo a his o iog aphical o e iew on deb in he la e Mid-
dle Ages, see Gab iela Signo i, “Einlei ung,” in: P ekä e Ökonomien. Schulden in
Spä mi elal e und F ühe Neuzei , ed. Gab iela Signo i (Kons anz and München:
UVK Ve lagsgesellscha , 2014), 7–14.
Pa II
Monas ic Economic Powe
in he La e Medie al Ci y
DOI: 10.4324/9781003299905-6
The p e ious wo chap e s ha e engaged wi h ea ly medie al ounda ions
and inqui ed as o how hey a ed in he la e medie al economy. Upon hei
ounda ion, ea ly medie al con en s we e gene ally endowed wi h a e i o-
ial pa imony o e which hey exe cised a numbe o mano ial igh s. In he
la e Middle Ages, his pa imony some imes o med he basis o an ac i e
policy o e i o ializa ion. Simila o secula e i o ial lo ds, also abbesses
and hei con en s sough o expand, a i m, and consolida e hei a eas o
in luence. O e he cou se o cen u ies, hey no only a emp ed o enla ge
he numbe o seigneu ies, bu also o es ablish economic and au ho i a i e
monopolies wi hin hei e i o ies. A leas , such endencies can be obse ed
among success ul and economically able con en s such as No e-Dame and
Buchau. While hese mano ial ins i u ions could and did use hei seigneu-
ial p e oga i es o e ec i ely consolida e and e en expand hei e i o ial
in luence, hey also needed o adjus o he signi ican poli ical and economic
changes in la e medie al Eu ope.
The ise o ci ies – and wi h hem, he ci izen y – and he eme gence o he
mone ized economy we e some o he mos signi ican challenges hese in ui-
ions, and he women who go e ned hem, had o con on . The con en s’
adi ional economic s uc u e had been p ima ily ag a ian. Landowne ship
wi h assals, enan s, o se s who owed a ious deg ees o se ices and di -
e en kinds o na u alia e enues we e he pilla s upon which he economy
o hese ins i u ions had es ed since he ea ly Middle Ages. Howe e , by he
la e Middle Ages, a solely e i o ial-ag a ian se -up had become disad an a-
geous in a socie y inc easingly domina ed by a mone ized u ban economy. Fo
ins i u ions o ea ly medie al o igin o p e ail in he long e m, hey had o
di e si y hei economic po olio. Buchau, a compa a i ely small con en –
ega ding bo h he size o i s communi y and o i s asse s – shi ed he majo -
i y o i s economy om i hes paid in na u alia o e enues paid in money.
No e-Dame, a much la ge ins i u ion han Buchau, di e si ied i s economic
po olio and added mone a y income h ough pu chases o en and eal y.
Howe e , no all ins i u ions succeeded in adap ing and di e si ying. La e
medie al F aumüns e gene a ed mone a y income p ima ily h ough he
4 Economic S a egis s
Klingen al in Basel I
This chap e has been made a ailable unde a CC-BY-NC-ND license

70 Monas ic Economic Powe in he La e Medie al Ci y
sale o land and egalia. The abbey ac i ely con ibu ed o i s economic and
e i o ial decline in he i een h cen u y h ough he g adual aliena ion o
he e y basis o i s weal h.
I he p e ious wo chap e s ha e obse ed he long- e m economic e olu-
ions o con en s o ea ly medie al o igin, he ollowing wo chap e s will
ocus on a single monas ic ins i u ion and i s economic se up. Due o able
inancial in es men s, Klingen al became he weal hies o Basel’s 15 mon-
as e ies. Founded in 1233 by a g oup o well- o-do women who wan ed o
emb ace he monas ic li e, he communi y’s i s ou decades saw a numbe
o exis en ial challenges. The con en , which o iginally es ablished i sel in
u al Alsace, was o ced o eloca e wice o escape a med con lic s in hei
icini y. A e hei ini ial se lemen in Husse en became unsa e, hey mo ed
o Weh in he Sou he n Black Fo es , be o e hey e en ually sough he u -
ban ha en o Basel in 1274.
An unusually ich co pus o sou ces, comp ising close o 3,000 cha e s,
nume ous accoun books, and wo nec ologies, shed ligh on Klingen al’s
economic ac i i ies, especially du ing he ou een h and i een h cen u ies.
The documen s e eal he con en ’s i m oo hold in a numbe o economic
en u es. As we will see, Klingen al amassed a sizable pa imony o a able
land du ing he hi een h and ou een h cen u ies. On his land, he con-
en g ew la ge quan i ies o g ain and wine o bo h eed i s communi y
and o sell on he ma ke s in and nea Basel.1 In addi ion o he le ies Klin-
gen al collec ed om i s ag a ian possession, he con en collec ed a ious
ypes o en s along wi h compensa ions o he li u gical commemo a ion
he nuns p ac iced (Chap e 5). Klingen al’s comp ehensi e sou ces p o ide
plen i ul insigh s as o how a la e monas ic ounda ion success ully secu ed
i s long- e m economic well-being, once mo e e ealing emale monas ics as
able inancial manage s. Because o i s la e medie al o igin and he speci ic
si ua ion in Re o ma ion-Basel, Klingen al’s sou ces a e so plen i ul ha hey
allow o much mo e de ailed insigh s in o he con en ’s economic s a egies
han hose o Buchau and No e-Dame. This makes he s udy o Klingen al
pa icula ly insigh ul, and i is he eason why wo chap e s a e dedica ed o
his single nunne y.
***
Di ided in o wo sec ions, he i s pa o his chap e will engage wi h Klin-
gen al’s u ban en i onmen and i s ea ly ins i u ional his o y. Pa 2 will ake
a close look a Klingen al’s me iculous pu sui o acqui ing an a able pa i-
mony du ing he ou een h cen u y. In a compa a i ely densely popula ed
egion, i was no easy o amass clus e s o a able land. And indeed, i was a
long- e m endea o , aking Klingen al he be e pa o he ou een h cen-
u y and much piece wo k o compile a sizable demesne. Bo h he e o and
he money he con en in es ed in building i s ag icul u al basis show he
con inuous impo ance o na u alia i hes also o la e medie al u ban ins i-
u ions such as Klingen al.
Economic S a egis s: Klingen al in Basel I 71
The Town: Basel in he La e Middle Ages
Se led since Roman imes and episcopal sea since he ea ly Middle Ages,
medie al Basel was loca ed on he Rhine on he bo de s o Bu gundy, Ale-
mannia, and F ankia.2 By he la e ele en h cen u y, Basel had become an
u ban cen e , and Bishop Bu kha d ( . 1072–1107) had he i s ci y wall
buil which p o ided p o ec ion o he g owing numbe o inhabi an s.3
A ound ha ime, me chan s om Basel a e men ioned in cha e s issued as
a away as Cons ance, sugges ing bo h economic g ow h and ading ac i i-
ies.4 The same is ue o Basel’s cu ency – mo e and quali a i ely be e
coins we e being min ed, and by he wel h cen u y, he Basel penny (Basle
P ennig) was so commonly accep ed in he egion ha o he owns began o
imi a e i .5
In e ms o monas ic de elopmen , Basel was a la e bloome o so s. In
1083, Bishop Bu kha d ounded he ci y’s i s monas e y. S . Alban was lo-
ca ed ou side o he ci y walls and became he home o Cluniac monks.6
Conside ing Bu kha d’s close ies o Hen y IV du ing he ea ly phase o he
In es i u e Con o e sy, his choice o ins alling a Cluniac communi y in Ba-
sel is a leas in e es ing.7 The canons o S . Leona d we e he second monas-
ic cong ega ion o se le in Basel a some poin be ween 1118 and 1133. I
he own’s monas ic se lemen had s a ed slowly, i ook up speed du ing
he hi een h cen u y. In addi ion o chi al ic o de s, he new mendican s
ounded communi ies in Basel. By he la e hi een h cen u y, he numbe
o monas ic houses had g own o 14, peaking a 15 wi h he a i al o he
Ca husians in 1401.8 This coun does no include he Beguines, who did no
o m an o icial o de , bu who we e plen i ully ep esen ed in he Rhenish
egion, including Basel, which was home o 20 beginages in he ou een h
cen u y.9 By he la e Middle Ages, he densi y o eligious ins i u ions was
high – acco ding o We ne Meye , abou 10% o Basel’s popula ion li ed a
monas ic li e o some so .10
In e ms o popula ion, la e medie al Basel had also become an impo an
ci y by he s anda ds o he ime.11 Based on i een h-cen u y ax eco ds,
Hek o Ammann es ima ed he ci y’s popula ion di e ged be ween 8,000
and 11,000 inhabi an s.12 This high luc ua ion esul ed om Basel housing
he Council o Basel (1431–1449), which signi ican ly inc eased he ci y’s
popula ion o a p olonged pe iod, he ounda ion o i s uni e si y in 1450,
and he ci y’s ole as a sa e ha en o many e ugees om he wa s ha we e
endemic o Uppe Alsace.13 Wi h an a e age o abou 9,000 people, la e me-
die al Basel was hus smalle han nea by S asbou g, bu signi ican ly bigge
han Zu ich and Be n.14
Poli ically, Basel’s la e medie al his o y was ma ked by hose s uggles
common o many la e medie al owns. I had o deal wi h he eali ies ensuing
om a numbe o local a is oc a ic amilies i aling o domina ion. In he
Basel egion, hose amilies we e once again he powe ul dukes o Zäh ingen
(un il 1218), he house o Hohens au en, and he coun s o Habsbu g. The
dea h o F ede ick II (1250) and he subsequen end o he Hohens au en
72 Monas ic Economic Powe in he La e Medie al Ci y
eign was ollowed by he so-called G ea In e egnum (1250–1273), a pe-
iod o quickly changing ule s ha e en ually saw he co ona ion o he i s
Habsbu g king, Rudol I ( . 1273–1291). When Rudol was elec ed king in
Oc obe 1273, his oops we e in he p ocess o besieging Basel. Rudol and
Basel’s bishop, Hen y III o Neuchâ el ( . 1263–1274), had long been a odds
abou hei espec i e zones o in luence, especially in Alsace and B eisgau.15
Howe e , euding wi h he local coun o Habsbu g was di e en om e-
belling agains he king-elec o he Holy Roman Empi e. Upon lea ning o
Rudol ’s elec ion, Basel opened i s ci y ga es o he new king, who in e u n
abandoned his objec i e o conques .16 To secu e las ing peace, Hen y III
o Neuchâ el ende ed B eisach, Neuchâ el, and Rhein elden o he Empi e.
Rudol ’s elec ion e ec i ely pu an end o he e i o ializa ion e o s o he
bishop o Basel, and i ma ked he beginning o he ci y’s g adual ansi ion
om an episcopal o an impe ial own.17
In e nally, Basel’s la e medie al his o y saw he ise o he ci izen y,
guilds, and ade. Unde Bishop Hen y II o Thun ( . 1216–1238), he ci y’s
i s b idge c ossing he Rhine was buil in 1225. The b idge hence o h a-
cili a ed egional and ans egional ade owa d he Go ha d ou e and he
ci ies ups eam such as Mainz and Cologne. Hen y III o Neuchâ el in pa -
icula was impo an o Basel’s u ban de elopmen . The bishop os e ed
he ci y’s g owing a isan y, i s allowing Basel’s u ie s and subsequen ly
o he s o o ganize in guilds.18 Du ing Hen y III’s go e nmen , u ban sou ces
also s a ed men ioning a council and e e ing o he uni e si as ci ium,
he ci izen y, which he bishop o mally ecognized.19 Du ing he hi een h
cen u y, he ising ci izen y did no ye pose a h ea o episcopal au ho i y.
Howe e , con lic s and i al ies be ween he wo u ban o ces g ew h ough-
ou he ou een h cen u y, e en ually leading o Basel’s de ac o independ-
ence om episcopal ule in he 1390s.20 Thi een h- and ou een h-cen u y
Basel was a as -g owing and as -changing ci y, whe e di e en eli es s o e
o domina ion, whe e ade was on he ise, and whe e demog aphic g ow h
was angible in he e en building ac i i ies on bo h banks o he Rhine.
And i was his b is ling u ban en i onmen o which he nuns o Klingen al
chose o become a pa o when hey eloca ed hei con en o Basel in 1274.
The Ins i u ion: F om Alsace o Basel
In 1274, he con en o Klingen al mo ed o hei hi d and inal home. Thei
new con en building was e ec ed on he igh bank o he Rhine, in he as -
g owing own o Kleinbasel. We know li le abou Kleinbasel’s ea ly his o y.
Hen y II o Thun g an ed he se lemen s he s a us o own some ime a e
1220, and in 1392, Kleinbasel was inco po a ed in o Basel.21 In he ea ly hi -
een h cen u y, Hen y’s in e es in ounding he own o Kleinbasel had been
a s a egic one. The se lemen on he igh bank was o se e as a base o
egain in luence o e he B eisgau and he Black Fo es , which Basel’s bishops
had los o he House o Zäh ingen du ing he wel h cen u y.22 Whe eas he
episcopal s i e o e i o y e en ually ailed, Kleinbasel p ospe ed.23
Economic S a egis s: Klingen al in Basel I 73
The si e o Klingen al’s con en was loca ed abou 150 m downs eam
om he b idge connec ing Basel and Kleinbasel. In 1274, he nuns i s
mo ed in o a small s one house, which hey had acqui ed ou yea s p io
and which hey had econs uc ed o ca e o he needs o hei monas ic com-
muni y.24 This i s abode, la e called Kleines Klingen al (Klingen al mino ),
was adjacen o he plo upon which he nuns’ pe manen home, he G osse
Klingen al (Klingen al maio ), was buil and which Ma häus Me ian would
ende on his amous map o Basel almos ou cen u ies la e (Figu e 4.1).
The nuns and lay sis e s ans e ed o he new, spacious clois e in he ea ly
ou een h cen u y, while he Kleine Klingen al hence o h housed Klingen-
al’s lay b o he s and pensione s.25 Mo eo e , i emained in se ice as an ad-
minis a i e complex – i was he home o Klingen al’s bu sa y and g aina y.
While Basel became he nuns’ pe manen home, i was no he place o he
con en ’s ounda ion. I s o igins lay 60 km no hwes o he ci y in Alsace.
The e, a g oup o weal hy women, possibly widows, had decided o emb ace
he eligious li e in 1233. Wi h he legal suppo o he bishops o Basel and
S asbou g, he women ounded a con en a Husse en and subo dina ed
hemsel es o he Dominican cong ega ion o S . Ma cus in S asbou g. Like
any new cong ega ion, he women equi ed spi i ual guidance, and he nuns
o S . Ma cus dispa ched sis e s o Husse en o ins uc he new nuns.26 The
young communi y p ospe ed bo h eligiously and economically. The 1240s
Figu e 4.1 Map o Basel (Ma häus Me ian, 1642) wi h Klingen al.
80 Monas ic Economic Powe in he La e Medie al Ci y
illage o Gomme sdo “dona ed he sel and all he possessions” o Klin-
gen al.78 Some imes, en i e amilies joined Klingen al as pensione s. Thus,
Ma his om Habsheim, his wi e, Elsy om Lö ach and Ma his’ mo he ,
Agnes Bo zenha z, ans e ed all hei possessions, including abou 1 ha
o g ape ines in exchange o Ve p ündung o Klingen al.79 The Ge man
e ms P ünde and P ündne ha a e commonly used in his con ex a e
ambiguous as hey may also designa e a p ebenda y. Howe e , in his speci ic
con ex , P ündne e e s o pensione s. Monas ic pensione s we e a com-
mon sigh in la e medie al con en s, and hey we e a sou ce o income o
hem. In exchange o a aluable dona ion o annui y, he con en p o ided
oom, boa d, and ca e o i s pensione s who li ed ou hei li es in he com-
muni y.80 In he case o Klingen al, he e a e abou 30 cha e s ha es i y
o indi iduals o couples ans e ing hei possessions – lands, ineya ds,
i hes, some imes unspeci ied weal h – o Klingen al.81 In o he wo ds, while
pensione s we e common also a Klingen al, hey we en’ a cen al sou ce o
he con en ’s e enues.
Ra he han ob ained h ough dona ion, he nuns ac i ely pu chased he
as majo i y o hei a able pa imony. O he acqui ed 57 ineya ds o
which he cha e s es i y, he nuns bough 33. Klingen al’s ineya ds o med
clus e s nea Sulz and Habsheim (Alsace) and Weil (Baden). Upon pu chase,
Klingen al equen ly e u ned he ineya d o i s o iginal owne as an in-
he i able ie in exchange o an annual en o wine. The case o Ruedige , a
in ne om Sulz, is ypical in his ega d. In Janua y 1369, Ruedige and his
son Rue sche sold Klingen al hei g ape ines o he sum o 140 gulden. In a
second s ep, Klingen al ans e ed he ineya ds back o hem as inhe i able
ie . In e u n, Ruedige and Rue sche commi ed o annually deli e 24 ohm
(c. 973 L) o whi e wine o Klingen al.82
We don’ know he easons as o why a he and son made he decision
o sell. Ideally, such a angemen s bo e bene i s o bo h pa ies. The selling
pa y ecei ed a la ge amoun o cash and he p o ec ion o a powe ul ins i-
u ion which was hence o h esponsible o he a m’s upkeep. All he while,
he selle s de ac o kep bo h land and ade in he amily. Klingen al, on he
o he side, inc eased i s annual wine e enues, which made he con en bo h
independen om pu chasing i and allowed he nuns o sell su pluses in he
a ious ma ke s a ound Basel.83 Mo eo e , by leasing he ineya d back o
he o iginal in ne , he con en did no ha e o wo y abou (i.e., hi e and
pay) he high numbe o day labo e s which we e needed in i icul u e.84 This
was he ideal scena io. Howe e , he e we e also undeniable downsides, es-
pecially o he in ne s o a me s. In addi ion o losing hei independence,
c op ailu e could cause enan s o accumula e deb s wi h hei o e lo d, hus
inc easing hei dependence and po en ially leading hem in o po e y.85 Al-
hough poo ha es s became a ecu en p oblem in he ou een h cen u y,
ela ions be ween peasan s and landowne s seem o ha e gene ally emained
peace ul in he egion.86
In addi ion o ineya ds, Klingen al acqui ed a able land on which ui
and especially g ain was g own. As he acquisi ion cha e s e eal, Klingen al

Economic S a egis s: Klingen al in Basel I 81
ollowed a policy o buying adjacen pieces o land in o de o c ea e la ge
ields. The p e ious chap e has discussed a simila endency in he con ex
o hi een h-cen u y No e-Dame de Soissons. Howe e , i is impo an o
dis inguish be ween he wo cases. While No e-Dame sough o c ea e sei-
gneu ies whe e he abbey held he monopoly o au ho i y, Klingen al’s objec-
i e was p ima ily economic. Founded a e he classic eudal e a, Klingen al
possessed none o he egal igh s ha ea ly medie al ounda ions had been
endowed wi h and which we e equen ly kep h oughou hei exis ence.
Thus, Kling en al’s p io esses did no dispense jus ice and wi h he sole ex-
cep ion o Weh , hey did no appoin p ies s. O cou se, also Klingen al’s
p io esses exe cised a ce ain au ho i y o e hei peasan s who we e ied o
he land and hus equi ed p io ial consen in o de o eloca e o ge ma -
ied.87 Howe e , Klingen al’s au ho i y o e peasan s was nowhe e nea as
comp ehensi e as ha o No e-Dame, Buchau, o F aumüns e o e hei
subjec s. In o he wo ds, Klingen al was an o e lo d, bu no a seigneu in
he eudal sense. Acco dingly, Klingen al did no s i e o e i o ializa ion.
Ra he , he objec i e o buying adjacen land pa cels was o c ea e clus e s
and hus o ensu e an e ec i e ag icul u al p oduc ion – which, na u ally, is
mo e luc a i e on la ge connec ed ields han on a high numbe o uncon-
nec ed smalle pa cels.
Klingen al acqui ed a conside able numbe o ields jus no h o Basel
in he su oundings o oday’s owns o Weil am Rhein and Hésingue ha
ace each o he om opposi e banks o he Rhine. The e, Klingen al bough
ield a e ield, on which p ima ily spel was g own.88 Be ween 1300 and
1399, he con en ’s cha e s es i y o he acquisi ion o a o al o 94 pa cels
o a ying size.89 Almos e e y yea , he con en bough a able land, o en
in e y small ins allmen s o one o wo jucha s, some imes e en less.90 Fo
he pe iod be ween 1320 and 1350, we can obse e a highe equency o
pu chases. Du ing he 1320s, Klingen al acqui ed 40 pa cels amoun ing o a
o al o abou 77 jucha s (ca. 26 ha) in and a ound Hésingue.91 The 1330s
saw he acquisi ion o 13 pa cels, mos o hem again nea Hésingue, while
he 1340s saw a shi o he o he side o he Rhine wi h a o al o 12 acquisi-
ions nea Weil.92 The emaining 29 land acquisi ions we e comple ed o e
he cou se o he emaining decades o he ou een h cen u y.
The s eady con inui y o Klingen al’s a able clus e ing is no ewo hy in
h ee ega ds. Fo one, he con en had an imp essi e amoun o cash a ail-
able o buy up pa cels o land. E en o smalle pieces o land, Klingen al
equen ly paid la ge sums o 50 gulden and mo e.93 Despi e he con en ’s
wo eloca ions and i s building ac i i ies in Kleinbasel du ing he 1270s and
1280s, he con en always had la ge sums o money eadily a ailable. The ol-
lowing chap e will ake a close look a Klingen al’s cash low. Second, hei
knowledgeable in es men s o ha money which allowed hem o assemble
a compa a i ely la ge demesnes in a egion whe e mos a able land had long
since been cul i a ed. Tha is o say, a egion whe e land was no easily a ail-
able e en o weal hy buye s.94 Ne e heless, Klingen al succeeded o amass
impo an clus e s o ields o e he cou se o a cen u y. Finally, i is a leas
82 Monas ic Economic Powe in he La e Medie al Ci y
wo h ema king ha Klingen al’s con inuous pu sui o es ablishing he con-
en as a majo ag icul u al p oduce was no de ailed by any hing, no e en
he majo na u al and epidemic c ises ha ma ked he ou een h cen u y.
In addi ion o a numbe o ailed ha es s, which b ough g ea dis ess
o he egion in he i s hal o he ou een h cen u y, he 1340s saw a
numbe o amines and epidemics, including he G ea Mo ali y, which hi
Basel in he summe o 1349. In compa ison o o he Eu opean ci ies, Basel’s
pligh seems o ha e been somewha ligh e . We ne Meye es ima es ha
“only” abou 10% o he popula ion succumbed o he plague in 1349.95
Se en yea s a e he plague, a de as a ing ea hquake and a esul ing i e
des oyed much o Basel in Oc obe 1456.96 Howe e , hese ca as ophes,
which ma ked he ci y and i s popula ion o gene a ions, seem o ha e had
li le impac on Klingen al’s ag a ian policy. The con en con inued i s pu -
chases in 1449/1450 and in 1456/1457, seemingly unal e ed.97 I no hing
else, his obse a ion emphasizes once mo e he cen ali y o Klingen al’s
objec i e o acqui e sizable and p o i able demesne du ing he ou een h
cen u y. An objec i e, he nuns saw h ough – no ma e wha .
In e im Conclusion: No Land, No Economic Powe Base
Klingen al’s s o y was no o o a good s a . No h ough any aul o he
con en ’s ea ly communi y. I s ea ly nuns b ough e e y hing o he able
ha he young cong ega ion would need o succeed – inancial means, ex-
ended poli ical and ecclesias ical ne wo ks, and eligious zeal, which had led
hese women o o m a nunne y in he i s place. Howe e , he imes we e
di icul , and wi hin 21 yea s, he young con en had o eloca e wice. In
1253, he nuns mo ed om hei o iginal loca ion in Husse en o Weh , and
in 1274, om Weh o Basel. While we lack na a i e sou ces o shed ligh
on his (o any o he ) phase o Klingen al’s his o y, i is easy enough o im-
agine he challenges ha came wi h e e y eloca ion. In each new place, he
con en needed o build sui able housing o i s communi y, ensu e he nuns’
cu a monialium, and ind ways o adminis a e i s pa imony ha , wi h each
mo e, became a clus e o lands ha equi ed managemen , bu ha was
loca ed ou side he immedia e icini y o he con en ’s cu en loca ion.98 All
his equi ed in luen ial ne wo ks, o ganiza ional skill, and mos o all com-
p ehensi e esou ces. Fo a less weal hy communi y, hese ea ly challenges
would ha e likely pu an end o i s exis ence.
Howe e , while hese e en s ce ainly weighed hea ily also on Klingen al,
he con en eco e ed quickly each ime. Fo one, he nuns bene i ed om
hei good connec ions, which hey had om he beginning. Thus, hei con-
nec ion o Wal e on Klingen p o ided hem wi h a new con en building
in Weh along wi h close ies o he i s Habsbu g king. Rec ui ing om
he weal hy uppe class, many o i s nuns enjoyed pa en al ies o council
membe s, and Klingen al was also ee o inancial p oblems. I s many ac-
quisi ions du ing he ou een h cen u y es i y o his. Once se led in Basel,
Economic S a egis s: Klingen al in Basel I 83
he nuns began o use hei money o acqui e a able land, and hey hus laid
he ag a ian ounda ion o a h i ing monas ic economy. They did so me-
iculously and pa ien ly. In a egion wi h a numbe o u ban cen e s loca ed
in close p oximi y – namely, Basel, Colma , S asbou g, and F eibu g im
B eisgau – accumula ing a able land was no ob ious as mos o i had long
been spoken o . In his ega d, he si ua ion was undamen ally di e en o
Klingen al han i had been o ea ly No e-Dame, F aumüns e , o Buchau.
When No e-Dame and Buchau began o enla ge hei landed pa imony
du ing he hi een h and ou een h cen u ies, hey did so om a s uc u ally
di e en ou se . As eudal ins i u ions da ing back o he ea ly Middle Ages,
bo h nunne ies al eady owned es a es o e which hey held a numbe o legal
igh s, ha is, seigneu ies. Thus, e i o ializa ion, especially in he con ex
o No e-Dame, mean buying up land wi hin e i o ies o e which he ab-
bey had ju isdic ion and wi hin which he abbey al eady owned subs an ial i
no he majo i y o land pa cels.99 Fo Klingen al, he si ua ion was e e se.
The land had long been owned by o he s, he con en did no hold any egal
igh s (no could i hope o ob ain any), and Klingen al had o pains akingly
acqui e land piece by piece, o en a jucha (ca. 0.34 ha) a a ime.
Tha hey did so o e an ex ended pe iod o ime, namely he en i e ou -
een h cen u y, shows ha Klingen al ollowed an agenda. Simila o hei
success ul monas ic cousins o ea ly medie al o igin, he desi e o be sel -
su icien was ce ainly he one d i ing ac o also o Klingen al. In addi-
ion o ields and ineya ds, he con en also bough se e al mills, a qua y,
a o ge, and a b ickya d.100 By 1400, Klingen al hus owned e e y hing o
main ain (and epai ) la ge ag icul u al es a es wi hou ha ing o ely on
(and pay o ) ex e nal c a smen o in as uc u e. Howe e , unlike hei
olde monas ic cousins, Klingen al was no a eudal ins i u ion. O he han
he basic au ho i y landowne s had o e hose peasan s who we e ied o
he land hey wo ked, Klingen al did no possess any seigneu ies which hey
migh seek o expand.
The e o e, Klingen al’s acquisi ion o land did no ha e an objec i e o
build a li le ealm o hei own. Ra he , i was d i en by economic consid-
e a ions. Eu ope emained an ag a ian socie y h oughou he Middle Ages
(and beyond). Consequen ly, ag icul u al holdings emained a c ucial asse .
To ph ase i in somewha da ed bu ne e heless ca chy Ma xis e minol-
ogy, hose who owned he means o p oduc ion in p emode n Eu ope – in
his case, he land, he people, and he equipmen – had he ools o p o-
duce economic s abili y along wi h las ing ins i u ional weal h. In he case
o Klingen al, his mean ha ob aining a able land o o m la ge ields and
ineya ds allowed hem o p oduce no only enough o eed hei commu-
ni y and employees, bu also o u n su pluses in o money. The cen al place
ha bo h he g aina y and he o ice o he g aina y mis ess assumed wi hin
Klingen al’s adminis a ion is as e ela o y o he impo ance o Klingen al’s
ag icul u al economy as is he me iculous p ocess o land acquisi ion du ing
he ou een h cen u y.
84 Monas ic Economic Powe in he La e Medie al Ci y
Howe e , despi e i s cen al impo ance, ag icul u e was bu one o Klin-
gen al’s economic pilla s. As he ollowing chap e will show, Klingen al be-
came Basel’s weal hies monas ic ins i u ion, hanks o i s highly di e si ied
economic po olio. In addi ion o ag icul u e, he nuns gene a ed an imp es-
si e income om p aying o he dead, and hey ensu ed egula e enues
h ough he pu chase o en s and o e 100 houses in and a ound Basel.
Combined, Klingen al collec ed housands o li e s o g ain and wine e e y
yea along wi h housands o pounds sil e . In o he wo ds, while Klingen al’s
nuns we e no obse an ole models, hey we e e y alen ed p o o-manage s.
No es
1 Fo he impo ance o egional and annual ai s in he g ea e Basel egion
in he la e Middle Ages, see Do o hee Rippmann, Baue n und S äd e : S ad -
Land-Beziehungen im 15. Jah hunde : Das Beispiel Basel. Un e besonde e
Be ücksich igung de Nahma k beziehungen und de sozialen Ve häl nisse im
Umland (Basel and F ank u am Main: Helbing u. Lich enhahn, 1990), 138–142.
2 Sou ces a e a e o Basel’s ea ly episcopal his o y. In he mid- ou h cen u y, a
ce ain Ius inianus was bishop o Basel. A he ime, he bishop, along wi h he
Roman eli e, esided in Augus a Rau ica, he Roman ounda ion loca ed abou
10 km wes o mode n-day down own Basel. By he eigh h cen u y, he epis-
copal cu ia had mo ed om Augus a o Basel, which by hen had g own mo e
impo an han he old Roman se lemen . Re o Ma i, “Ein Leben im Au b uch
– Die Menschen de Region Basel im 10. und 11. Jah hunde ”, in: Gold und
Ruhm: Kuns und Mach un e Kaise Hein ich II.: Auss ellung, His o isches
Museum Basel im Kuns en um Basel, 11.10.2019–19.01.2020, ed. Ma c Fe-
hlmann, Michael Ma zke, and Sabine Söll-Tauche (München: Hi me , 2019),
29–30; Jü gen Dendo e , “Basel zwischen Bu gund und dem os änkischen Re-
ich”, in: Fehlmann, Ma zke, and Söll-Tauche (eds.), Gold und Ruhm, 62; and
Re o Ma i, “Die An änge des Bis ums: Eine Geschich e in F agmen en”, in: P o
Deo. Das Bis um Basel om 4. bis ins 16. Jah hunde , ed. Jean-Claude Rebe z
(Delsbe g: S i ung A chi des ehemaligen Fü s bis ums Basel – P un u Edi-
ions D+P SA, 2006), 30–45.
3 Ma i, “Ein Leben im Au b uch,” 31; Ma in S einmann, “Von de ühen
Besiedlung bis zu e s en Blü e de S ad ”, in: Basel – Geschich e eine s äd ischen
Gesellscha , ed. Geo g K eis and Bea on Wa bu g (Basel: Ch is oph Me ian
Ve lag, 2000), 24–27; 29–32; and Augus Be noulli, “Basels Maue n und S ad-
e wei e ungen im Mi elal e ,” Basle Zei sch i ü Geschich e und Al e u m-
skunde 16 (1917): 60–62.
4 Ch is oph Philipp Ma and Claudius Siebe -Lehmann, “Basilea – Eine Bischo -
ss ad inde ih en Pla z”, in: Fehlmann, Ma zke, and Söll-Tauche (eds.), Gold
und Ruhm, 274–275.
5 Michael Ma zke, “Die ande e Sei e de Münze: Münzp ägung in Basel,” Basle
Zei sch i ü Geschich e und Al e u mskunde 115 (2015): 96.
6 Albe Eisele, “Bischo Bu kha d on Basel und seine Beziehungen zum Ma k-
g ä e land,” Das Ma kg ä e land. Bei äge zu seine Geschich e und Kul u 27
(1965): 68; and Felix Acke mann and The ese Wollmann, Klös e in Basel. Spa-
zie gänge du ch ün Jah hunde e (Basel: Ch is oph Me ian Ve lag, 2014), 7.
7 In e es ing in he sense ha Cluny’s success was he esul o a igid monas ic
e o m p og am ha sough o end lay in luence on he Chu ch and was hus
no easily econcilable wi h he impe ial de ense o lay in es i u e. This appa en
Economic S a egis s: Klingen al in Basel I 85
con adic ion has a ac ed no able schola ly a en ion among Basel’s his o ians;
Hans-Jö g Gilomen, Die G undhe scha des Balse Cluniazense -P io a es S .
Alban im Mi elal e (Basel: Kommissions e lag F ied ich Reinha d AG, 1977),
35–44.
8 B igi e Degle -Spengle , “Die Klös e de S ad Basel”, in: Rebe z (ed.), P o
Deo, 105–106; 109.
9 On Beguines in Basel see: B igi e Degle -Spengle , “Die Beginen in Basel,”
Basle Zei sch i ü Geschich e und Al e u mskunde 69 (1969): 5–84. Fo
he dissolu ion o he beginages ollowing he Basle Beginens ei in he i s
decade o he i een h cen u y, see Sabine on Heusinge , Johannes Mulbe g OP
(†1414). Ein Leben im Spannungs eld on Dominikane obse anz und Begin-
ens ei (Be lin: Akademie Ve lag, 2000), 39–90.
10 We ne Meye , Da e iele Basel übe all. Das Basle E dbeben on 1356 (Basel:
Schwabe, 2005), 44.
11 Fo he s anda d ypology o medie al ci ies acco ding o hei size, see Isen-
mann, Die deu sche S ad , 31.
12 Hek o Amman, “Die Be ölke ung on S ad und Landscha Basel am Ausgang
des Mi elal e s,” Basle Zei sch i ü Geschich e und Al e umskunde 49
(1950): 30–31.
13 Amman, “Die Be ölke ung,” 31; and Hans Geo g. Wacke nagel, “Basel als
Zu luch so des Elsasses (15.–17. Jah hunde ),” Annuai e de Colma 2 (1936):
57–59.
14 We ne Meye , “Basel im Spä mi elal e ”, in: Basel. Geschich e eine s äd ischen
Gesellscha , ed. Geo g K eis and Bea on Wa bu g (Basel: Ch is oph Me ian
Ve lag, 2000), 42.
15 Ma and Siebe -Lehmann, “Basilea,” 277–278.
16 Ma and Siebe -Lehmann, “Basilea,” 278.
17 Ma kus Ries, “Hein ich on Neuenbu g”, in: Die Bischö e des Heiligen
Römischen Reiches 1198 bis 1448, ed. E win Ga z (Be lin: Duncke & Hum-
blo , 2001), 60–61.
18 Romain Ju o , “Thun, Hein ich on,” in His o isches Lexikon de Schweiz
(HLS), Ve sion om 23.01.2012. Online: h ps://hls-dhs-dss.ch/de/a icles/013027/
2012-01-23.
19 Ma and Siebe -Lehmann, “Basilea,” 277. Simila o he council o Zu ich,
Basel p esumably i s comp ised minis e iales. In Basel, hese we e na u ally
he minis e iales o he bishop, who is head o he ci y. H. S ., “De mi elal e -
liche Adel und seine Bu gen im ehemaligen Fü s bis um Basel,” Nach ich en des
Schweize ischen Bu gen e eins = Re ue de l‘Associa ion Suisse pou Châ eaux
e Ruines = Ri is a dell‘Associazione S izze a pe Cas elli e Ruine 35 (1962): 6.
20 Meye , “Basel im Spä mi elal e ,” 59.
21 Meye , “Basel im Spä mi elal e ,” 51.
22 Meye , “Basel im Spä mi elal e ,” 39; 49.
23 Meye , “Basel im Spä mi elal e ,” 39.
24 Do o hea Schwinn Schü mann, “Geschich e des Basle Klos e s Klingen al
(1274–1529/59) und ih e Auswi kung au die Bau ä igkei ”, in: Wal he on
Klingen und das Klos e Klingen al zu Weh , ed. S ad Weh (Os ilde n: Tho -
becke, 2010), 105.
25 Cons uc ion o he monas ic complex was comple ed in he ea ly ou een h cen-
u y. Acke mann and Wollmann, Klös e in Basel, 164; B igi e Degle -Spengle and
Do o hea A. Ch is , “Basel, Klingen al”, in: Hel e ia Sac a, Ab . 4, Bd. 5 Teil 2,
537–538. Fo he la e usage o Klein Klingen al’s compound, see Schü mann, “Ge-
schich e des Basle Klos e s Klingen al,” 108; and Elsanne Gilmon-Schenkel and
B igi e Degle -Spengle , “Basel, Klingen al”, in: Hel e ia Sac a, Ab . 4, Bd. 2, 65.
26 Degle -Spengle and Ch is , “Basel, Klingen al,” 532.

86 Monas ic Economic Powe in he La e Medie al Ci y
27 S ABS Klingen al 1, 3, 8, 38 and S ABS Klingen al 5, 5a, 6, 2809, 2811.
28 Since he ele en h cen u y, Alsace had been one o he egions whe e papal and
impe ial ac ions ough each o he , epea edly leading o ci il wa -like si ua-
ions. Ch is ine Reinle, “Das Elsass im hohen und spä en Mi elal e (10.–15.
Jah hunde )”, in: Das Elsass. His o ische Landscha im Wandel de Zei en, ed.
Michael E be (S u ga : Kohlhamme , 2002), 48; Ch is ian Wilsdo , “Com-
men Colma de ian ille (8e–13e siècles)”, in: His oi e de Colma , ed. Geo ges
Li e (Toulouse: P i a , 1983), 35–39; and Philippe Nuss, Les Habsbou g en Al-
sace des o igins à 1273. Reche ches pou une his oi e de l’Alsa ia Habsbu gica
(Al ki ch: Socié é d’His oi e du Sundgau, 2008), 324–336.
29 Reinle, “Das Elsass,” 55.
30 Degle -Spengle and Ch is , “Basel, Klingen al,” 533; and Nuss, Les Habsbou g,
330–334.
31 Degle -Spengle and Ch is , “Basel, Klingen al,” 533.
32 The con en ecei ed he chu ch wi h jus pa ona us on Sep embe 2, 1256,
S ABS Klingen al 11, 11a, 11 b, 11c, 16. E ik Beck sugges s ha Wal he ’s mo-
i a ion migh ha e been he dea hs o his young sons whom he nuns we e o
commemo a e along wi h he es o his amily. E ik Beck, “Wal he on Klin-
gen, Weh und die Ve legung des Klos e s Klingen al”, in: Weh (ed.), Wal he
on Klingen, 53–54; 65.
33 The Ge man wo d o alley is Tal – hence, Klingen- al.
34 Thomas Zo z, “De Bischo on Basel am Obe hein”, in: Fehlmann, Ma zke,
and Söll-Tauche (eds.), Gold und Ruhm, 281–284; and Jean-Claude Rebe z,
“De Bischo im Ju a. E appen de En s ehung des Fü s bis ums”, in: Fehlmann,
Ma zke, and Söll-Tauche (eds.), Gold und Ruhm, 288.
35 Degle -Spengle and Ch is , “Basel, Klingen al,” 536. The e is some deba e as
o whe he he cas le needed ebuilding a e ha ing been des oyed by Rudol
in 1252/1253 o whe he i was simply in bad condi ion and he bishop o Basel
e u bished o ha e an ou pos in Habsbu g lands. Wha e e he eason, he
es o a ion p o oked he ange o his i al, Rudol o Habsbu g, and ekindled
hei wa ing. Beck, “Wal he on Klingen,” 54–55.
36 Basel was he na u al and adi ional place o seek sa e y o people om Uppe
Alsace in imes o wa , Wacke nagel, “Basel als Zu luch so ,” 57.
37 Degle -Spengle and Ch is , “Basel, Klingen al,” 536–537; and Beck, “Wal he
on Klingen,” 51.
38 S ABS Klingen al 45.
39 Degle -Spengle and Ch is , “Basel, Klingen al,” 535.
40 I mind u , widow o Knigh Hidelb and on Tege elden, was he gene ous do-
no o Kleinhüningen (S ABS Klingen al 52); also in 1273, he nun bough a
a m in Kleinbasel o 20 ma ks sil e (S ABS Klingen a 56), and hey ecei ed
u he dona ions o land and ineya ds in Basel and Lö ach (S ABS Klingen al
65, 71).
41 Renée Weis-Mülle , Die Re o m des Klos e s Klingen al und ih Pe sonenk eis
(Basel and S u ga : Helbing & Lich enhahn, 1956), 14; Reinha d Valen a,
“Wal he on Klingen: Eine biog aphische Skizze”, in: Weh (ed.), Wal he on
Klingen, 21–22; i has been assumed ha Wal e on Klingen’s wi e, Sophia,
was a cousin o Rudol o Habsbu g. Howe e , his is no ce ain. Fo he ques-
ion o Sophia on Klingen’s lineage, see Ch is ophe Schmidbe ge , “Ungleiche
F eund ode Vasall? Das pe sönliche Ve häl nis zwischen Wal he on Klingen
und Rudol on Habsbu g”, in: Weh (ed.), Wal he on Klingen, 35–36.
42 Ma and Siebe -Lehmann, “Basilea,” 278; and Romain Ju o , “Isny, Hein ich
on,” in His o isches Lexikon de Schweiz (HLS), Online: h ps://hls-dhs-dss.ch/
de/a icles/012710/2006-06-08/.
43 Weis-Mülle , Die Re o m, 14.
Economic S a egis s: Klingen al in Basel I 87
44 Degle -Spengle and Ch is , “Basel, Klingen al,” 537.
45 S ABS KLA Klingen al HH 5 men ions he sum o 100 gulden as being he
cus oma y one.
46 Weis-Mülle , Die Re o m, 21
47 See, o example, he es amen o Cla a zu Rhein; S ABS Klingen al H 93 –95 ;
and Weis-Mülle , Die Re o m, 22.
48 Weis-Mülle , Die Re o m, 41.
49 Weis-Mülle , Die Re o m, 30.
50 Recen schola ship on mendican s has engaged wi h his ques ion. Thus,
Angelica Hilsebein gi es an o e iew o e a numbe o mendican con en s
whose membe s habi ually enjoyed pe sonal p ope y and engaged in inancial
ac i i ies; Angelica Hilsebein, “Reiche Klös e – A me Kla issen? Finanzielle
T ansak ionen zwischen de Wel , dem Klos e und seinen Kon en ualinnen”,
in: Gelob e A mu . A mu skonzep e de anziskanischen O dens amilie om
Mi elal e bis in die Gegenwa , ed. Heinz-Die e Heimann, Angelica Hilse-
bein, Be nd Schmies, and Ch is oph S iegemann (Pade bo n: Fe dinand Schön-
ingh, 2014), 307–334, especially 321–334. Ano he example o a well-s udied
weal hy (and a is oc a ic) medican women’s con en is Königs elden, see Simon
Teusche and Claudia Moddelmog (eds.), Königsmo d, Klos e , Klinik. Königs-
elden (Baden: hie + je z , 2012), especially Chap e s 3 and 4; o he close ies
be ween a is oc acy and mendican communi ies – and he ensuing weal h o he
la e , see Nikolas Japse and Imke Jus (eds.), Queens, P incesses and Mendi-
can s. Close Rela ions in a Eu opean Pe spec i e (Zü ich: LIT Ve lag, 2019).
51 Weis-Mülle , Die Re o m, 30.
52 Weis-Mülle , Die Re o m, 31.
53 The nec ology S ABS Klingen al H men ions sales o cells o 20 gulden; see, o
example, S ABS Klingen al H, ol. 114 ., 141 , 141 ; he p ice o a bed and
bedding seems o ha e been 10 gulden on a e age; S ABS Klingen al H, ol. 141 .
54 Weis-Mülle , Die Re o m, 31.
55 Tes amen o Cla a zu Rhein, S ABS Klingen al H, ol. 94 –95 ; es amen
o U sel zum Angen, S ABS Klingen al H, ol. 113; and he es amen o
Ma ga e e Zschampi edi ed by Do o hea Schwinn Schü mann, “Nonnen und
Laien des Klos e s Klingen al in Basel (1274.1529). Zeugnisse aus den A chi en
zu Lebensweise, zum P i a besi z und dessen Ve ebung,” in: F eunde des
Klingen almuseums. Jah esbe ich (2001), 24–25.
56 S ABS Klingen al H, among o he s: ol. 113 ., 141 .
57 S ABS Klingen al H 93 –95 ; and Elsanne Gilomen-Schenkel, “Zu Rhein,
Cla a,” in His o isches Lexikon de Schweiz (HLS), Ve sion om 24.02.2014.
Online: h ps://hls-dhs-dss.ch/de/a icles/026595/2014-02-24/.
58 Tes amen o Cla a zu Rhein, S ABS Klingen al H, ol. 94 –95 .
59 Fo he ecen schola ly deba e abou ambigui y and he ole ance o ambigui ies
in p emode n Islamic and Ch is ian socie ies, see Thomas Baue , The Cul u e o
Ambigui y. A Di e en His o y o Islam (New Yo k: Columbia Uni e si y P ess,
2019) (o ig. Ge man 2011); and Hilla d on Thiessen, Das Zei al e de Am-
bigui ä . Vom Umgang mi We en und No men in de F ühen Neuzei (Köln,
Weima , and Wien: Böhlau, 2021), especially 11–34.
60 Weis-Mülle , Die Re o m, 48–56; Wins on-Allen, Con en Ch onicles 77–86;
and Be nha d Neidige , “Obse anzbewegung de Be elo den in Südwes -
deu schland,” Ro enbu ge Jah buch ü Ki chengeschich e Bd. 11 (1992):
179–185.
61 Sybille Knech , Ausha en ode aus e en? Lebenswege ehemalige Nonnen nach
de Klos e au hebung am Beispiel de S äd e Zü ich, Be n und Basel (PhD dis-
se a ion, Uni e si y o Zu ich, 2013), 169.
62 C . Glossa y o mo e de ailed desc ip ions o he a ious monas ic o ices.
88 Monas ic Economic Powe in he La e Medie al Ci y
63 Weis-Mülle , Die Re o m, 27.
64 C . Chap e 5.
65 Accoun books o hese i e o ices ha e come down o us, showing he cen al
impo ance o hem wi hin he con en economy; Weis-Mülle , Die Re o m, 25.
Fo he ansla ion o he o ices, I ha e used Sa ah Glenn DeMa is edi ion and
ansla ion o Johannes Meye ’s Amp buch. Sa ah Glenn DeMa is (ed. and ans.),
Johannes Meye . Das Amp buch (Rome: Angelicum Uni e si y P ess, 2015).
66 Fo a de ailed desc ip ion o he bu sa ess’ o ice, see DeMa is, Johannes Meye ,
384–385.
67 Weis-Mülle , Die Re o m, 27.
68 Fo a de ailed desc ip ion o he sac is an’s o ice, see DeMa is, Johannes Meye ,
390–393.
69 C . Chap e 5.
70 Weis-Mülle , Die Re o m, 25–26.
71 Wins on-Allen, Con en Ch onicles, 41–43.
72 Weis-Mülle , Die Re o m, 33.
73 Wins on-Allen, Con en Ch onicles, 41–43.
74 Fo examples, see he es amen s o Klingen al’s bu sa s Hans on Eschenbe g
and Hans on Höwingen, S ABS Klingen al H ol. 55 and ol. 89 .
75 The e a e a numbe o e ie s ha ci y ep esen a i es assembled du ing he
Re o ma ion – hese we e no conside ed he e; no we e hose pieces o land
gi en o Klingen al in e u n o memo ia se ices. The easons a e simple; o
one, he cha e s p o ide in o ma ion as o when a piece o land was acqui ed –
in o ma ion no ende ed in he e ie s and no always ende ed in nec ologies.
And his in o ma ion is impo an in o de o disce n pa e ns o acquisi ion
policy. Ano he eason is mo e mundane: while conside ing e ie s, cha e s,
and nec ologies would ce ainly ende a mo e exhaus i e image o Klingen al’s
possessions, such an endea o would ake yea s due o he shee numbe o
Klingen al’s possessions. And, as s a ed abo e, only conside ing he cha e s is
su icien in o de o iden i y endencies.
76 S ABS Klingen al 8, 97, 853, 856, 64, 71, 72, 115, 130, 133, 168, 186, 206,
235, 258, 266, 287, 323, 334, 340, 353, 487, 591, 1022, 1057, 1076, 1088,
1110, 1115, 1146, 1171, 1187, 1257, 1265, 1309, 1337, 1417, 1471, 1476,
1479, 1485, 1486, 1515, 1541, 1560, 1570, 1590, 1613, 1627, 1661, 2004,
2020, 2074, 2107, 2163, 2241, 2263; a e 1400: S ABS Klingen al 1613, 1627,
1661, 2004, 2074, 2107, 2163, 2263.
77 This was he case in 1450, when Klingen al bough 1 jucha (ca. 0.34 ha) o
ineya d ha had o me ly belonged o a ce ain Hans Hegkle who led Basel
o unspeci ied easons. Klingen al pu chased he abandoned ineya d o 46
gulden (S ABS Klingen al 2074); and in 1453, Klingen al pu chased 0.5 jucha
o ineya d o 18 gulden ha a ce ain Conz Tu el who le behind a e dying
wi hou an hei (S ABS Klingen al 2107).
78 S ABS Klingen al 1228.
79 S ABS Klingen al 2004, he cha e is da ed Feb ua y 13, 1441.
80 Wins on-Allen, Con en Ch onicles, 39.
81 S ABS Klingen al 1, 62, 690, 897, 905, 973, 1145, 1228, 1241, 1306, 1410,
1460, 1472, 1603, 1704, 1823, 1979, 1980, 2004, 2007, 2008, 2012, 2016,
2096, 2126, 2148, 2151, 2249, 2528, 2529, 2549.
82 S ABS Klingen al 1146; o he equi alen o ohm in li e o he g ea e Basel
egion, see Duble , Masse und Gewich e, 42.
83 Fo he annual calenda o ma ke s in he Basel egion, including Rou ach,
Habsheim, and o he loca ions whe e Klingen al owned land and ineya ds, see
Rippmann, Baue n und S äd e , 139.
Economic S a egis s: Klingen al in Basel I 89
84 Fo medie al i icul u e in he Basel egion, see Do o hee Rippmann, “‘F auenwe k’
und Männe a bei : Fo men on Leben und A bei im Spä mi elal e ”, in: A bei
im Wandel: Deu ung, O ganisa ion und He scha om Mi elal e bis zu
Gegenwa , ed. Ul ich P is e , B igi e S ude , and Jakob Tanne (Zü ich: Ch onos,
1996), 35–37; and Albe Memb ez, Geschich e des Weinbaus im Lau en al (Biel:
Chs. & W. Gassmann, 1947), 8–33.
85 This was a widesp ead phenomenon in la e medie al Eu ope; see Gilomen, Die
G undhe scha , 211–213.
86 Meye , Da e iele, 42–43; o he egion’s ha es s om he la e ou een h and
ea ly i een h cen u ies, see Gilomen, Die G undhe scha , 228–256.
87 This was ypical o he egion. Meye , Da e iele, 43.
88 A ew o he cha e s men ion spel speci ically. Usually, he speci ic ype o g ain
is only men ioned i he selle o he land hen e-ob ained i as an inhe i able
ie . In such a case, he na u e o he i he was speci ied and i is usually spel
(e.g., S ABS Klingen al 1025, 1045, 1062, 1075).
89 Klingen al also con inued o buy a able land in he icini y o Rou ach and
Weh , albei in lesse numbe . Fo he lis o cha e s, h ps://da a e se.ha a d.
edu/da ase .xh ml?pe sis en Id=doi:10.7910/DVN/KTTSZ2. The con en ’s wo
o me home bases we e mos p obably ans o med in o la ge a ms eads om
whe e he local ag icul u al p oduc ion was managed. Beck, “Wal he on Klin-
gen,” 72–73.
90 One jucha is oughly he equi alen o 0.34 ha; Duble , Masse und Gewich e, 24.
91 Abou 1.36 ha we e loca ed in Hésingue: S ABS Klingen al 494, 512, 525, 530,
536, 542; he o he pa cels we e mos ly loca ed in neighbo ing Knœ ingue,
Michelbach-le-Bas, and Blo zheim.
92 Fo Hésingue: S ABS Klingen al 551, 563 & 564, 589, 593, 622, 628, 641 &
642; he loca ions nea Weil include Weil, Riehen, Ö lingen, Weh , and o he s:
S ABS Klingen al 682, 699, 706, 707, 723, 728, 734, 737, 744, 747, 748 &
749 & 893.
93 Thus, he con en paid 74 gulden o a “piece o g ape ine,” S ABS Klingen al
1076; 273 Gulden o 6 ha o meadow, S ABS Klingen al 1269.
94 Be nha d Neidige , Mendikan en zwischen O densideal und s äd ische Reali ä .
Un e suchungen zum wi scha lichen Ve hal en de Be elo den in Basel (Be lin:
Duncke & Humbol , 1981), 196.
95 Meye , Da e iele, 49–52.
96 Meye , Da e iele, 52–95.
97 In 1449/1450, Klingen al unde ook six pu chases (S ABS Klingen al 2069,
2071, 2072, 2073, 2081, 2085); in 1456/1457, i e (S ABS Klingen al 2140,
2147, 2152, 2158, 2159); Klingen al was no he only monas e y whose econ-
omy emained s able despi e he di e decades o he 1440s and 1450s. Also, he
sou ces o S . Alban (and p esumably o he con en s) lea e o assume economic
con inui y du ing ha pe iod; Gilomen, Die G undhe scha , 275.
98 As men ioned abo e, Klingen al p obably ans o med i s o me con en s in o
adminis a i e buildings om whe e he local ag icul u al p oduc ion was o -
ganized and supe ised; Beck, “Wal he on Klingen,” 72–73.
99 C . Chap e 3.
100 In 1315, Klingen al bough a o ge in Rou ach (S ABS 309); in 1341, he nuns
acqui ed a b ickya d in Kleinbasel (S ABS 684); and in 1379, hey bough a
qua y o 28 gulden (S ABS 1295). Rega ding mills, Klingen al owned h ee in
Kleinbasel since 1270 (S ABS Klingen al 45) and acqui ed ano he one in 1349
in Hel an zki ch, nea Hésingue, whe e Klingen al owned as ields o spel
(S ABS 874, 878).
96 Monas ic Economic Powe in he La e Medie al Ci y
in o ma ion abou he commemo a i e se ices pe o med a e oo sca ce o
make any gene al assessmen .37 Whe eas weal hy amilies such as he Kil-
mans in es ed la ge sums o hei anni e sa ies, less well-o people secu ed
ememb ance in he nuns’ p aye s o a ew shillings.38 Commemo a i e se -
ices ende ed in exchange o shilling endowmen s gene ally consis ed p i-
ma ily in he ounde ’s names being eci ed du ing he day’s equiem mass.39
Fo he ai h ul in la e medie al Eu ope, es ablishing pos -obi se ices
was like se ing up a us und o hei souls. The money in es ed du ing
hei li e ime was mean o yield a egula spi i ual ou pou in he u u e.
O he han ha , anni e sa y ounda ions na u ally bo e li le esemblance
o us unds. Al hough hey p o ided an impo an sou ce o e enue o
many con en s, and while mo e elabo a e se ices equi ed a ma e ially big-
ge ounda ion, o e ing commemo a i e se ices was no abou maximizing
p o i . I was abou alle ia ing he pu ga i e o deal o indi idual souls. Tha
ich people paid mo e was no only because hey a anged o mo e elabo a e
se ices – al hough his was ce ainly a pa o i – bu also because hey had
mo e need o edemp ion. In Ch is ian belie , he hones poo ha e always
been close o God’s hea han he ich, and he e o e hey did no ha e o
ea he he ea e .40
The es amen s o membe s o Klingen al’s communi y a e pa icula ly
e ela o y o he combina ion o money, escha ological conce n, amilial
iden i y, and ies o he communi y ha guided anni e sa y ounda ions.
Klingen al’s p io ess, Cla a zu Rhein (c. 1395–1455), in es ed conside able
sums o money in bo h he own anni e sa y and in hose o he siblings and
pa en s.41 To he con en as a whole, Cla a bequea hed a numbe o aluable
objec s. These included se e al books ha we e wo h 12 gulden and a mon-
s ance wo h 28 gulden, which con ained a p ecious elic ha Cla a also le
o he nunne y: hai s o he Vi gin Ma y.42 Cla a’s es amen also made p o-
isions o u u e in es men s. Thus, Cla a le Adelheid on Telbe g one gul-
den usu uc du ing Adelheid’s li e ime. A e Adelheid’s demise, he money
was o be added o he sum dedica ed o Cla a’s own anni e sa y.43 Cla a
made simila p o isions o he nine cells she owned a Klingen al.44 The
p io ess bequea hed he cells o ellow nuns o usage du ing hei li e ime.
Howe e , a e hei dea hs, he cells we e o be sold and he money added
o Cla a’s own “anni e sa y und.”45 No hing indica es ha his p og es-
si e g ow h o unds o e app oxima ely one gene a ion was accompanied
by mo e elabo a e commemo a i e se ices. Ra he , i seems o ha e been
a way o make he mos o he , admi edly excessi e, unds – ha ing lo ed
ones bene i du ing hei li e ime as well as one’s own soul in pe pe ui y. The
case o Cla a zu Rhein was no an excep ion, also o he nuns o esaw simila
p og essi e ins allmen s hei es amen s.46
The es amen o Hans on Eschenbe g († 1443), one o Klingen al’s bu -
sa s, p o ides maybe he mos balanced e lec ion o he conce ns o p o ide
ca e o hei own soul, hose o o he s, and o he ins i u ion ha had been
hei home. In his es amen , Hans bequea hed a o al o 38 gulden, ou

Following he Money: Klingen al in Basel II 97
pounds, and six shillings. Fi e gulden we e o be used o his own anni e -
sa y and ha o his amily, namely his “pa en s and ances o s.”47 He s ipu-
la ed ano he ou gulden o a collec i e anni e sa y o all ai h ul souls
and all hose people who had shown kindness o him du ing his li e ime. Bu
Hans also le money o Klingen al i sel . The o me bu sa dedica ed 14
gulden, ou pounds, and six shillings o eno a ion wo ks o he chu ch and
ano he gulden o “ eading ligh s” (candles) in he choi . Mo eo e , Hans
on Eschenbach le nine gulden o his biological sis e s, Ennelin and Ma -
g e , who we e bo h nuns in Klingen al. A e hei dea hs, he money was o
be added o he on Eschenbach amily anni e sa y und, which hen would
also include he commemo a ion o his sis e s.48
E en i unning a p o i was no he objec i e o a con en ’s pos -obi
se ices, hey b ough de ac o an impo an in lux o money and goods ha
accumula ed o signi ican weal h. Howe e , i is usually di icul o p o ide
a s aigh o wa d numbe as o he olume o income, as he ma e ial goods
we e oo di e se in na u e and he documen a ion is spo y. This is also ue
o Klingen al. In addi ion o money, he e we e signi ican numbe s o a able
lands and en s in g ain, along wi h aluable ho ses (one wo h 100 gulden!),
p ecious books, and e en eme alds and ubies.49 I we lea e all none- mone a y
ounda ions aside – and ha is a subs an ial ac ion – Klingen al H egis e s
a combined mone a y o une o 3,742 gulden, 5,464 pounds, 1,653 ma ks,
and 4.5 shillings.50 While his ce ainly sounds like a lo (and indeed i was),
he amalgam o numbe s and cu encies, along wi h he unce ain ies ega d-
ing hei alues, make i di icul o imagine any hing conc e e.
As many o he s ci ies a he ime, also la e medie al Basel knew a numbe
o di e en cu encies. The classical one o was ha o pound, shillings and
pennies, whe e one pound equaled 20 shillings o 240 pennies. O he h ee,
only he penny was min ed, while he pound was a money o accoun used
o acili a ed bookkeeping, ha is, o a oid ha ing o calcula e wi h ho -
endously high amoun s o pennies. The alue o he cu ency was de i ed
om i s sil e con en . Theo e ically, one pound equaled he alue o one
pound o sil e .51 Thus, each min ed penny nominally con ained abou 1.7 g
o sil e . Howe e , o e he cou se o ime, he ac ual sil e con en ended o
dec ease, and his debasemen caused an in la ion o p ices.52
A new coinage sys em eme ged in he ci y o Flo ence in he mid- hi een h
cen u y. The e, he o icials began o min gold coins – he gold guilde o gul-
den. The gulden weighed 3.5 g. O iginally, he alue o one gulden was equal
o ha o one pound o sil e money. Howe e , his ini ial equali y did no
las and he gulden quickly exceeded he pound in alue.53 O e he cou se
o he ollowing cen u y, many o he Eu opean ci ies began o min gold
coins, including Basel (1430). While bo h cu encies coexis ed, he gulden
quickly became he mo e aluable and s able coin, and he e o e he mo e
us ed cu ency.54 In i een h-cen u y Basel, one gulden was wo h abou
one pound and h ee shillings.55 The hi d cu ency ha enjoyed wide usage
was he sil e ma k. The ma k was, much like he pound, a book-cu ency
98 Monas ic Economic Powe in he La e Medie al Ci y
a he han an ac ual min ed coin. In la e medie al Basel, he ma k o Co-
logne was used, which weighed 233.856 g o sil e , and was hus oughly
wo h hal a pound.56
P emode n cu encies a e no only complica ed because o hei mul i-
ude and he many egional di e ences, bu also because i is impossible o
“ ansla e” hei alue in o mode n cu encies. Howe e , we can gi e some
indica ions in e ms o hei pu chasing powe . Thus, we know ha in 1317,
one ie zel o g ain (app oxima ely 272 L) cos h ee pounds on Basel’s ma -
ke s, while one ie zel o oa was aded a one pound en shillings. The yea
1317 was pa icula ly expensi e, as c op ailu es had caused g ain p ices o
explode. Ch is ian Wu s isen, Basel’s six een h-cen u y ch onicle , w o e ha
many people died because hey couldn’ a o d he high p ices.57 The same
ch onicle in o ms us abou a p ice on he o he end o he scale – namely he
pu chase o an en i e ci y. In he la e ou een h cen u y, he council o Basel
sough o buy he own o Kleinbasel which had hi he o been independen
om he main ci y on he le bank o he Rhine. In 1391, Basel paid 29,800
gulden (o 35,000 pounds) o he Aus ian Habsbu gs who, in u n, had e-
cei ed Kleinbasel om Bishop Jean de Vienne († 1382) in 1375.58
Al hough g ain p ices in he ea ly ou een h cen u y and hose o an en-
i e ci y by he end o ha same cen u y a e li le mo e han e e ence poin s,
hey ne e heless allow us o ge a sense o he mone a y o une egis e ed
in Klingen al’s anni e sa y book. The 3,742 gulden, 1,653 ma ks, and 5,464
pounds, ha is, oughly 10,500 pounds combined, would be he equi alen
o 1/3 o he p ice Basel paid o buy i s neighbo ing own in 1391 o ha o
2,720,000 L oa s in 1317. O , in mo e gene al e ms – i was a lo o money.
And ha money needed managing.
O Ren and Real y
In medie al Eu ope, he accumula ion o weal h was only possible h ough
li e ally hoa ding coins in easu e chambe s. This, howe e , was a p ac ice
which C aig Muld ew desc ibes as being “conside ed unsociable and mi-
se ly.”59 Mo eo e , i was inancially unp oduc i e. Especially o weal hy
indi iduals and ins i u ions, i would hus ha e seemed na u al o pu hei
money o wo k a he han hoa ding i .60 I simply made mo e sense o in es
money in o en u es yielding annual e enues han o d aw on a hoa ded
o une ha , no ma e how big, would ine i ably sh ink o e ime. In he ab-
sence o banks, he e we e essen ially h ee ways o pu ing money o wo k in
medie al Eu ope. The i s was o exchange i o land which yielded egula
c ops o o he e enues. The second was o buy en s, and he hi d, o use i
o acqui e p ope ies o he i hes connec ed o p ope ies, which hen could
be leased ou . All o hese capi alized on ex an weal h being a ailable o be
in es ed in o money- ende ing endea o s. The p e ious chap e has amply
discussed he i s way, while he subsequen pages will engage wi h he o he
wo, s a ing wi h en acquisi ions.
Following he Money: Klingen al in Basel II 99
Ren s we e de ac o a o m o c edi ha ci cum en ed he chu ch’s ban
o money lending.61 Simila o a mode n-day mo gage, an indi idual, a am-
ily, o an ins i u ion would ecei e a ce ain amoun o money om ano he
indi idual o an ins i u ion. In exchange, he loane ag eed o make egula
paymen s (“pay a en ”) o hei c edi o . Such an ag eemen was no simply
buil on o he us ha he loane s would be willing and able o pay. Ra he ,
i equi ed a ma e ial basis, such as a house, a ineya d, o a ield as secu i y.
To a oid suspicion o usu y, hese ag eemen s we e no amed as c edi s o
mo gages, bu as en s ha we e pu chased. The deb o was he selle and
he c edi o was he buye .
The ag eemen be ween Hans F anck along wi h he b o he s Pe e and
Hans Thoman and he nuns o Klingen al can se e as a ypical example o
such an exchange. In 1495, he h ee men sold an annual en o one pound
o Klingen al. Hans, Pe e , and Hans owned ineya ds and ields, whose
c ops o med he ma e ial basis o he en . In exchange o he annual en ,
Klingen al paid he h ee men 20 pounds.62 In he wo ding o he ime: o he
sum o 20 pounds, Klingen al pu chased an annual en o one pound om
Hans F anck and Pe e and Hans Thoman. The a e o 1–20, ha is, one
pound o gulden o annual en paymen in exchange o he one ime pay-
men o 20 pounds o gulden, was ela i ely s able h oughou he i een h
cen u y. I was oughly 5% o he o al alue, which was he common a e
o c edi deals in he a ea a ha ime.63 Howe e , p io o he ou een h
cen u y, he a e used o be double – and selle s had o pay 10%, ha is,
annually 2 gulden o a 20 gulden c edi .64 The decline o he in e es a e
om 10% o 5% may be indica i e o c edi s ha ing become a ubiqui ous
phenomenon o he la e medie al u ban economy.65
A subs an ial pa o he en pu chases Klingen al made exchanged a sum
o money o egula na u alia paymen s. O he 280 cha e s es i ying o
en pu chases, 86 a ange o en s in g ain, wine, chicken, o a mix u e o
money and na u alia paymen s.66 In 1333, Klingen al bough an annual en
om Un e linden monas e y in Colma o 132 pounds. In exchange, Un-
e linden ag eed o deli e “16.5 ie nzel minus 1 ses e o spel ” (app oxi-
ma ely 4,755 L) om hei domain in Knoe ingue, along wi h ou chickens
and one capon, e e y yea .67 The olume o he exchange be ween Klingen al
and Un e linden, wo weal hy ins i u ions, was high – bo h in e ms o he
money paid (132 pounds sil e ) and he olume o g ain deli e ed in e u n.
Mos en al pu chases we e smalle in olume. And con a y o he pos -obi
a angemen s discussed ea lie , Klingen al’s en pu chases ollowed a dis-
ce nable p ice pa e n. Thus, in he mid- ou een h cen u y, Klingen al paid
be ween se en and eigh pounds o annual en s o one ie nzel (ca. 145 L)
o g ain.68 The a e o whi e wine was abou i e gulden pe ohm (ca. 136
li e s). In 1358, Klingen al’s nun, Ma ga e e Me e in, paid en gulden o an
annual en o wo ohm o whi e wine, while he Kon en paid 32 gulden o
an annual en o 6 ohm o wine.69 In his ega d, Hugo Ebschi cu a good
deal, when he nego ia ed 140 gulden o a en o 24 ohm o whi e wine.70
100 Monas ic Economic Powe in he La e Medie al Ci y
While such na u alia en s became less common by he i een h cen u y, hey
did no disappea . And, a leas in ega d o g ain and wine, he a e seems o
ha e emained ela i ely s able. As la e as 1512, Klingen al pu chased a en
o six ohm o 30 pounds, ha is, app oxima ely 26 gulden i e shillings.71
Why did people en e such ag eemen s – engaging in annual paymen s,
o en o unspeci ied leng hs o ime – in exchange o a one ime cash pay-
men ?72 P obably o he same easons people ake ou a mo gage on hei
houses oday o buy goods on c edi : o make a la ge pu chase o which hey
didn’ ha e he means a he ime. While Klingen al’s cha e s nei he e eal
he selle s’ mo i a ion no hei in en ion o wha hey planned o do wi h
he money, o he sou ces do. Especially he so-called e gich büche , a so
o o icial accoun books o deb s kep by Basel’s cou s, some imes p o ide
some insigh s.73 Wi hin he ci y, people bo owed money o pay o a new
ho se, a house, o new wo king ools and ma e ials, such as lea he , and some
e en had o sell a en o pay ou s anding ood bills.74
Fo he en s sold o Klingen al, we may assume simila mo i a ions, al-
hough Klingen al seems o only ha e done business wi h people who we e
inancially be e o han some o he deb o s who appea in Basel’s e -
gich büche . Klingen al’s selle s all owned land which se ed as secu i y and
he c ops o which we e ei he used as paymen o hei alue in money. The
smalles sum egis e ed in he cha e s is ha o 1.5 pounds (30 shillings),
in exchange o which Hanneman Silbi sag om Rou ach ag eed o gi e
Klingen al wo capons pe annum in 1347.75 The majo i y o en s we e pu -
chased o sums anging be ween 8 and 20 pounds – hus, sums oo big o
pay ou ou s anding ood bills.
Klingen al was no in e es ed in small c edi lines whe e he isk o de aul
was high and he collec ed e enues small. Con a y o small c edi s, pu -
chasing la ge en s ha we e backed by landed possession was a less isky
in es men model, especially in a as -g owing comme cial ci y like Basel.76
Due o he a e age sums egis e ed in he cha e s, i seems likely ha he
selle s o en s would ha e used he money o buy a house, mo e land, o o
inance expensi e epai s on hei a ms. Wha was in i o Klingen al? The
egula en s, o cou se. Ra he han hoa ding he money ha he con en
ecei ed in he con ex o dow ies, he in ake o pensione s, sales om he
g aina y, and pos -obi se ices, in es ing i in en s assu ed a egula in lux
o money and a g adual g ow h o he con en ’s weal h.77
Ano he o m o u ning cash in o egula e enues was buying houses o
he g ound axes ha we e a ached o hem – o bo h. Gab iela Signo i has
coined he e m “house-economy” (Hauswi scha ) o desc ibe he impo -
ance o eal es a e o Basel’s la e medie al u ban economy.78 In he s udy
on deb in la e medie al Basel, Signo i analyzed 260 house sales be ween
1475 and 1480. The ci y’s la e medie al housing ma ke was a i id one.
Be ween 40 and 80 sales happened pe annum, which is an imp essi ely high
pe cen age conside ing ha i een h-cen u y Basel comp ised only app oxi-
ma ely 2,000 houses in o al. The majo i y o buye s we e couples who, qui e
Following he Money: Klingen al in Basel II 101
li e ally, sough o se -up house a e ge ing ma ied. Mo eo e , he many
immig an s who luxed in o Basel om he su ounding a eas ce ainly also
had con ibu ed o he high luc ua ion a es.79
The la e medie al house-economy wo ked di e en ly om oday’s eal es-
a e ma ke . In Basel, as in many o he ci ies, house owne ship did no imply
ha one also owned he land on which he house was s anding.80 F equen ly,
house owne s had o pay a g ound ax o one o he local landowne s – who
we e usually membe s o he ci y’s pa icia e o ecclesias ical ins i u ions.
Re ela o y o he complexi y o g ound s. house owne ship is he exam-
ple o he couple Michel Iselin and Elsin Bischo in, his wi e, which Gab iela
Signo i has come ac oss. In 1475, he couple bough a ow o six houses in-
cluding ga dens. The uni y o he six houses was no only isible h ough he
ac ha hey o med a ow, bu also h ough a sha ed pe ime e ence. Ne -
e heless, he p ope y i he o each house wen o a di e en landowne .81
Mo eo e , he ax a e a ied signi ican ly om house o house. The highes
amoun was owed o a squi e named Thomas Sü lin, namely one pound and
i e shillings pe annum. The o he i e landowne s we e ecclesias ical ins i-
u ions who demanded lesse sums. The lowes o which was a six shillings
which Michel Iselin and Elsin Bischo in had o pay o he bu sa o he Basel
Mins e .82
The as majo i y o house owne s had o ende such g ound i hes.83 In
Basel, as in many o he ci ies o he Empi e, a house and he land on which i
was e ec ed we e legally and axably sepa a e. Thus, in addi ion o paying a
gi en sum o a house, he buye had o ag ee o pay an annual p ope y ax
o he indi idual, o , mo e equen ly, he ecclesias ic ins i u ion ha owned
he land pa cel on which he building had been e ec ed. Addi ional paymen s,
usually in o m o chickens, peppe o special b eads, called inge, we e o be
made on he day o he annual isi a ion o he eal y (weisung). A hi d ype
o paymen was he e scha z, a ee cha ged when a p ope y changed hands.84
Like he o he pa s o he p e-mode n p ope y economy, also he house-
economy was complex as a numbe o di e en , ye pa allel obliga ions we e
a play. And he equen changes in house owne ship, while g ound owne -
ship ended o emain mo e s able, added o bo h he “pape wo k” and he
isk o losing sigh o who owed exac ly wha o whom, and when. Due o
he complexi y and mul i ude o claims, he e was a isk o losing ack e en
wi h he mos diligen book keeping, and hus o g adually losing e enues.
A leas his equen ly happened he case o he ci y’s old landowning ins i-
u ions, such as he Mins e o S . Alban.85 Ne e heless, Basel’s la e medie al
house ma ke was wo h in es ing in. No so much in sea ch o making a
quick p o i ( o ha house p ices we e oo s able), bu in o de o u n mon-
e a y asse s in o egula e enues, especially o younge ins i u ions such as
Klingen al.
Klingen al’s in es men s in o Basel’s house-economy ollowed he same
pa e n as i s o he e enue gene a ing endea o s. They we e con inuous,
bu wi h isibly inc easing ac i i y since he second hal o he ou een h

102 Monas ic Economic Powe in he La e Medie al Ci y
cen u y. Be ween 1276 and 1550, Klingen al acqui ed a o al o 67 houses,
54 o which we e loca ed wi hin Basel and 13 in he a eas whe e Klingen al
owned mos o i s a able land and ineya ds. Thus, h ee houses we e loca ed
in Habsheim,86 i e in he su oundings o Rou ach,87 and wo nea Mul-
house.88 O he 54 houses loca ed wi hin Basel, we can iden i y he p ecise
add ess o 48 o hem (Figu e 5.1, da k g ey icons). Mos o hem we e lo-
ca ed wi hin he inne walls o he ci y, and some e en a ound ma ke squa e,
he bo ough, whe e Basel’s weal hy me chan s li ed. Howe e , he con en
also owned p ope y in he ci y’s mo e pe iphe al qua e s. In addi ion o
e enues om leasing ac ual houses, Klingen al also collec ed he g ound ax
o a numbe o g ounds upon which houses s ood. The dis inc ion be ween
he wo – i hes om houses and g ound axes – is no always easy o make.
In o al, Klingen al ecei ed paymen s om abou 182 houses and/o he
g ounds hey s ood on. Wi hin Basel, he loca ion o 26 o he houses om
which Klingen al ecei ed g ound axes could be iden i ied (Figu e 5.1, ligh
g ey icons). Simila o hose houses in possession o Klingen al, also hose
whose owne s we e obliged o make g ound ax paymen s o Klingen al,
we e dispe sed ac oss he en i e ci y.
The means o acquisi ion a ied. Thus, Klingen al ecei ed some houses in
exchange o pos -obi se ices, such as he house o he bake We nlin on
Figu e 5.1 Klingen al’s house-economy in he la e i een h-cen u y Basel. Map
design: Agnes Scho mann.
Following he Money: Klingen al in Basel II 103
Ki chen in 1361.89 Howe e , mos o en, he con en pu chased houses, and,
when possible, oge he wi h he igh s o all o he e enues connec ed o i .
This was he case wi h a house on Spalenbe g, which Klingen al bough om
Ka he ine Lo e in 1365. The house along wi h he g ound had been Ka h-
e ine’s dowe , and she sold bo h o Klingen al o 87.5 pounds. In addi ion o
he house i sel , Klingen al hus ecei ed he 3.5 pounds o annual i he and
wo b eads o he annual isi a ion (weisung). The e scha z o he p ope y
was a i e shillings.90
The houses in Klingen al’s possession we e o en gi en as inhe i able
leases o indi iduals, and a imes, e en o he ci y. Thus, in 1302, Klingen al
leased a house, loca ed nex o he b idge o he ci y o Basel. In exchange,
he council ag eed o pay h ee pounds annual en along wi h wo b eads
and a oos e o he annual weisung.91 In 1383, he council leased ano he
house o h ee pounds annual en along wi h one pound o peppe o be
ende ed on he day o he weisung.92 The majo i y o houses we e leased o
indi iduals, howe e . The annual en s a ied om se e al shillings o en
pounds, which Pe e Schoenegg and Ka he ine, his wi e, paid annually o a
house loca ed in he p e e ed a ea o Rheinsp ung, an ele a ion abo e he
i e close o he Mins e , in 1384.93 An e scha z o en shillings was ag eed
upon, which would ha e o be paid when someone else, such as he hei s o
Pe e and Ka he ine Schoenegg, ook o e he lease.94 I some imes happened
ha enan s o a house o a a m ound hemsel es unable o ende hei
dues. Faced wi h such a si ua ion, he nuns o Klingen al p o ed o be jus as
ha sh as any secula p ope y owne would ha e been. Ele en cha e s es i y
o onungen, ha is, o eclosu es o houses whose enan s had been unable
o pay. Upon e u n o he p ope y o Klingen al, he nuns hen we e ee o
o ge an inhe i able lease wi h new, mo e sol en enan s.95
While he na u e o Klingen al’s in es men s in en s, houses, and g ound
axes has become angible, he income he con en de i ed om hem s ill
needs o be assessed. The ollowing is again based on he igu es gi en in he
cha e s – and hus nei he akes in o conside a ion possible losses, gaps o
paymen s, no addi ional con ac s he con en o indi idual nuns concluded
ha we e egis e ed elsewhe e. Finally, he e enues lis ed below do no e-
lec an indi idual yea , bu a e he sum o he dues o all cha e s. They a e
hus mo e indica i e o he con en ’s e enues o he la e i een h and ea ly
six een h cen u y a he han he ea ly ou een h cen u y, a which ime
Klingen al was only beginning o build i s en and house-economy. In o he
wo ds, he ollowing numbe s a e an o ien a ion. Howe e , e en i only an
o ien a ion, hey a e qui e imp essi e.
The annual dues Klingen al collec ed in he con ex o i s en pu chases
we e he mos di e se, comp ising bo h money and na u alia. By he u n
om he i een h o he six een h cen u y, he con en had he igh o ap-
p oxima ely 288.25 gulden, 164 pounds, and 28 pennies. Addi ionally, hey
collec ed 54.5 chickens, h ee capons, abou 1,500 L whi e wine and mo e
han 24,000 L g ain – mos ly spel and oa .96 These we e o be ende ed
e e y yea , o cou se. F om Klingen al’s house-economy, he con en ’s bu sa
104 Monas ic Economic Powe in he La e Medie al Ci y
and bu sa ess could expec ano he 171.25 gulden, 125 pounds, and 24 shil-
lings, along wi h 27 chickens. The combined mone a y alue would ha e
been abou 865 pounds pe yea , o abou 1/12 o he o al mone a y alue
egis e ed in he con en ’s anni e sa y book. In addi ion o hese dues came
hose om he annual isi a ions (weisungen), whe e eal y was conce ned,
and he pe iodical paymen s o he e scha z, when a a m, house o o he
eal y was passed on o a new owne . Fo he annual weisungen, Klingen al
had he igh o 3.25 pounds o peppe (a luxu y good), se en chickens, one
oos e and 44 special b eads ( inge) ha we e a ypical o m o paymen o
weisungen in Basel. The pe iodical e scha z b ough ano he 24 pounds, i e
chickens and wo b eads.
A ew hings a e no ewo hy – especially in ega d o he s uc u e o
Klingen al’s economy. The nuns used he ad an ages o he u ban economy
and pu hei money o wo k. One- ime paymen s, such as hose in he con-
ex o pos -obi a angemen s, we e in es ed o yield egula e enues. By
he six een h cen u y, he e enues collec ed om en s and he con en ’s
house-economy eached 1/12 o he en i e sum egis e ed in he con en ’s an-
ni e sa y book. Meaning, e e y 12 yea s, Klingen al egained he mone a y
sum he con en ’s anni e sa y ounde s had endowed hem wi h. In eali y,
hey p obably did so soone as he numbe s used he e a e only a ac ion o
Klingen al’s annual income. No conside ed a e he e enues and dues Klin-
gen al collec ed in na u alia, diamonds, o o he nonmone a y paymen s, no
hose le ies he con en ecei ed om i s a able pa imony discussed in he
p e ious chap e .
Ano he obse a ion is he con inuous impo ance o na u alia en s e en
in he con ex o Klingen al’s u ban economic engagemen s. As he p e ious
chap e has shown, g ain and wine we e a pi o al pilla o he con en ’s
economy. This was no only e lec ed in he con en ’s ocus o amass clus e s
o a able land du ing he ou een h cen u y, bu also in he cen al place o
Klingen al’s g ana y and he in luen ial o ice o he g ana y mis ess.97 And
e enues ende ed in na u alia con inued o be cen al also a e he con en ’s
economic ocus g adually shi ed om land acquisi ion o en and house-
economy in he la e ou een h cen u y. Ha ing a egula in lux o g ain and
wine made p emode n ins i u ions independen om he seasonally luc ua -
ing ma ke p ices.98 Mo eo e , i allowed o he con en ’s mone a y income
o be used o hings o he han basic alimen a ion. I hus made sense o
ha e bo h also in an u ban economic en i onmen – na u alia and mone a y
e enues. And he nuns o Klingen al we e bo h inancially and s a egically
able o build such a di e se and balanced po olio o e he cou se o wo
cen u ies, which allowed hem o become Basel’s weal hies con en by 1500.
Rebellious Women: Klingen al’s Final Yea s
The nuns o Klingen al we e, wi hou any doub , e y weal hy, and hey
knew how o use hei pe sonal and hei con en ’s weal h o gene a e mo e
iches in he o m o egula income in bo h c op and money. The nuns’
Following he Money: Klingen al in Basel II 105
li es yle also e lec ed hei social s a us and inancial means – hey li ed in
ichly deco a ed cells, equen ly enjoyed good meals seasoned wi h expen-
si e spices, and e en exo ic ui s we e a common sigh in he con en ’s din-
ing hall. While no uncommon o a weal hy con en o he ime, he nuns’
li es yle was no wi hou c i ics. When he obse an mo emen gained mo-
men um in he i een h cen u y, ex e nal p essu e on he nuns o adop a
mo e modes li es yle ose. When he nuns o S einen Con en and Basel’s
Dominicans, Klingen al’s long- e m con esso s, emb aced obse an e o m
in 1424 and 1429, espec i ely, he demands o Klingen al o ollow sui
g ew loude s ill. Be ween 1430 and 1480, Klingen al accep ed h ee mino
e o ms, which, howe e , seem o ha e been p o o ma and emained wi h-
ou ac ual impac on con en li e.99 Realizing ha gen le p essu e would
lead o no esul s, a coali ion o he Dominicans and membe s o he ci y
council a emp ed o o ce he nuns o inally emb ace he obse an li es yle
in 1480.
On Janua y 8, 1480, hese e o me s en e ed he con en o in o m he
women abou hei impending e o m. As he isi had been announced be-
o ehand, he nuns we e p epa ed. Du ing he eading o he e o m bill,
which he men had ob ained om Six us IV, he nuns made noise and sang
ou loud so ha he u ban e o m pa y was unable o make hemsel es
hea d.100 While his may appea a childish eac ion a i s glance, i was
p esumably a well-medi a ed one. In o de o a e o m manda e o be imple-
men ed, hose o be e o med had o be in o med, ins uc ed, and e en ually,
hey had o olun a ily accep e o m.101 A oiding o e en ecei e he in o -
ma ion was hus a means in ended o s op he en i e p ocess be o e i e en
began. Howe e , also he e o me s we e p epa ed o he nuns’ esis ance,
which, a his poin , ha dly came as a su p ise. Dis ega ding hei noise, hey
in o med he women ha 13 obse an Dominican nuns om Engelpo en
we e on hei way and ha hey would mo e in o Klingen al in i e days’
ime. The idea, he e as elsewhe e, was ha he obse an nuns would lead he
spi i ual way – hey would show he ecalci an esiden s he igh eous pa h
and e en ually, he un e o med nuns would ei he emb ace e o m o lea e
he con en al oge he .102
Fa om accep ing de ea , he announcemen o he impending a i al o
he Engelpo en nuns caused he si ua ion o escala e u he . The women
h ea ened o bu n down hei con en and e en o s angle he e o m nuns
upon hei a i al a Klingen al. The men’s esponse o he nuns’ h ea s
was no less ha sh. They placed a med men a ound he monas ic compound
and locked he nuns wi hin.103 Th ough his d as ic measu e, he e o me s
sough o bo h “con ince” he nuns o accep e o m a e all and i ha
should ail, o a leas p e en hem om lea ing he compound and aking
Klingen al’s aluable possessions and i les wi h hem. This si ua ion las ed
o se e al weeks. Once he new nuns a i ed, hey ook o e he o ices o
he un e o med ones, who con inued o e use bo h e o m and coope a-
ion and he e o e con inued o be locked up. I quickly became clea ha
he women would emain s ead as in hei e usal and ha he si ua ion a
112 Monas ic Economic Powe in he La e Medie al Ci y
49 A ce ain si o Bechbu g ga e he con en a “big ho se wo h 100 gulden”
(Klingen al H ol. 5 ); a p ies named Ludwig Sinken le a “book o sain s” wo h
12 gulden (Klingen al H ol. 68 ); Elsi on Ro e sdo , a nun a Klingen al, be-
quea hed a “golden ing wi h an eme ald” (Klingen al H ol. 211 ); and Jacob on
Ep ingen ga e a uby o his anni e sa y ounda ion (Klingen al H ol. 34 ).
50 This is an app oxima e alue which only conside s hose ounda ions and inhe -
i ance ac ually paid in money, excluding hose ma e ial goods whose mone a y
alue is gi en. Founda ions in shillings ha e been ans o med in o pounds – ha
is, he sum o 1,024.5 shillings equal 51 pounds and 4.5 shillings (20 shillings
equal one pound).
51 John H. Mun oe, “In oduc ion,” in: Money in he P e-Indus ial Wo ld: Bul-
lion, Debasemen s and Coins Subs i u es, ed. John H. Mun oe (London: Picke -
ing & Cha o, 2012), 4.
52 Mun oe, “In oduc ion,” 4–5; and Michael No h, Das Geld und seine Geschich e.
Vom Mi elal e bis zu Gegenwa (München: C.H. Beck, 1994), 20.
53 Mun oe, “In oduc ion,” 5; and No h, Das Geld, 26–27.
54 h p://www.basle -bau en.ch/index.php?op ion=com_con en & iew=a icle&c
a id=63: a ia&id=263:waeh ungen; gene ally, he gulden was less a ec ed by
debasemen han he mo e locally used sil e cu ency, i s alue was hus mo e
s able and quickly ou alued he sil e cu ency; Mun oe, “In oduc ion,” 5.
55 Gus a Schönbe g, Finanz e häl nisse de S ad Basel im XIV und XV. Jah hun-
de (Tübingen: Ve lag de H. Laup’schen Buchhandlung, 1879), 712–713.
56 Daniel Schmu z, “Ma k (Gewich ),” in His o isches Lexikon de Schweiz (HLS),
Ve sion om 22.08.2008. Online: h ps://hls-dhs-dss.ch/de/a icles/013666/
2008-08-22/.
57 Ch is ian Wu s isen, Basle Ch onik (1580), 157. Online: h ps://da en.digi ale-
sammlungen.de/0008/bsb00089269/images/index.h ml?id=00089269&sei e=1
83& ip=193.174.98.30&na i eno=&g oesse =200%25.
58 Ch is ian Wu s isen, Basle Ch onik (1580), 197. Online: h ps://da en.digi ale-
sammlungen.de/0008/bsb00089269/images/index.h ml?id=00089269&sei e=2
24& ip=193.174.98.30&na i eno=&g oesse =200%25; and René Teu ebe g,
Basle Geschich e (Basel: Ch is oph Me ian Ve lag, 1986), 133.
59 C aig Muld ew, The Economy o Obliga ion. The Cul u e o C edi and Social
Rela ions in Ea ly Mode n England (Hampshi e and New Yo k: Palg a e, 1998), 4.
60 Fo he ole o en s o he “unhoa ding” o weal h, see Hans-Jö g Gilomen, De
Ren enkau im Mi elal e (habili a ion: Uni e si y o Basel, 1981), 29–30. Online:
h ps://www.his .uzh.ch/dam/jc : -e319- 1e9- - 92c8b4ad/ Ren enkau .pd .
61 Fo an o e iew, see Gilomen, Ren enkau , especially 32–33; 89–105; and
Gilomen, “Das kanonische Zins e bo ,” 405–449.
62 S ABS Klingen al 2490.
63 Gab iela Signo i, Schuldenwi scha . Konsumen en- und Hypo hekenk edi e im
spä mi elal e lichen Basel (Kons anz and München: UVK Ve lagsgesellscha ,
2015), 91; and Gilomen, Ren enkau , 30–31.
64 The e we e a o al o 29 such sales be ween 1346 and 1545; nine du ing he
ou een h cen u y a he a e 20 gulden pu chased o an annual en o 2 gulden
(S ABS Klingen al 766, 789, 792, 797, 810, 800, 877, 1007, 1428), and as o
1438, 20 gulden pu chases o an annual en o 1 gulden (S ABS Klingen al 1953,
2018, 2035, 2059, 2085, 2102, 2158, 2234, 2266, 2291, 2289c, 2413, 2484,
2490, 2515, 2534, 2597, 2618, 2652, 2197). The same a io gene ally applied
also o pu chases o annual en s o 1 gulden ( o which 10 gulden we e paid
un il he u n o he cen u y) and mo e. See also Chap e 3, he en pu chases o
No e-Dame we e a a a e o 10%.

Following he Money: Klingen al in Basel II 113
65 Gilomen, Ren enkau , 30–31; and Benjamin Hi z, Ein Ne z on Schulden.
Schuldbeziehungen und Ge ich snu zung im spä mi elal e lichen Basel (S u -
ga : F anz S eine Ve lag, 2022), 11.
66 This was common o en ag eemen s no only in Swi ze land and he Empi e,
bu also in F ance, Gilomen, Ren enkau , 30–32; in medium-sized owns (such
as Basel), en s in na u alia emained common also in he ou een h and i -
een h cen u ies; Gilomen, Ren enkau , 50–53.
67 S ABS Klingen al 578.
68 In 1343, Klingen al paid se en pounds en shillings o an annual en o one
ie nzel o spel . The ollowing yea , hey paid 20 pounds o 3 ie nzel o spel ,
and in 1345, an annual en o 2 ie nzel o spel was wo h 8 pounds sil e .
Thus, he p ices seem o ha e been ela i ely s able ones (S ABS Klingen al 712,
722, 791).
69 S ABS Klingen al 990 and 1005.
70 S ABS Klingen al 1143.
71 S ABS Klingen al 2591.
72 In 1450, he council o Basel banned pe pe ual en s. Howe e , be o e 1450,
mos en s we e pe pe ual; Neidige , Mendikan en, 204; o he di e en ypes
o en s and hei ma e ial basis, see Hans-Jö g Gilomen, “Die ökonomischen
G undlagen des K edi s und die ch is lich-jüdische Konku enz im Spä mi e-
lal e ,” in: Ein Thema – Zwei Pe spek i en. Juden und Ch is en in Mi elal e
und F ühneuzei , ed. E eline B ugge and Bi gi Wiedl (Innsb uck: S udien Ve -
lag, 2007), 144–148.
73 Ve gich büche we e o icial books o deb in which c edi o and deb o had
ou s anding amoun s egis e ed. This made he deb bo h o icial and o icially
ecognized by he deb o who could be made accoun able i hey ailed o pay
back hei deb ; Hi z, Ein Ne z on Schulden, 178–180; and Signo i, Schulden-
wi scha , 25–27.
74 Signo i, Schuldenwi scha , 41–42; and Gilomen, Ren enkau , 30–31.
75 S ABS Klingen al 843.
76 Signo i, Schuldenwi scha , 86.
77 Fo he gene al de elopmen o he en economy, he backd op be o e which
con en s such as Klingen al ac ed, see Gilomen, Ren enkau , 30–70.
78 Signo i, Schuldenwi scha , 87–119.
79 Signo i, Schuldenwi scha , 88–89; and Chap e 4.
80 Signo i, Schuldenwi scha , 93–94.
81 Signo i, Schuldenwi scha , 94
82 Signo i, Schuldenwi scha , 94
83 Gab iela Signo i ound his o be he case in 85% o house sales egis e ed
be ween 1475 and 1480; Signo i, Schuldenwi scha , 93.
84 Signo i, Schuldenwi scha , 93–96; and Wilhelm A nold, Zu Geschich e des
Eigen ums in den deu schen S äd en: Mi U kunden (Basel: Ve lag on H. Geo g,
1861), 73.
85 A nold, Zu Geschich e, 74–76; and Gilomen, Die G undhe scha , 276–277.
86 S ABS Klingen al 786, 811, 2034.
87 S ABS Klingen al 532, 779, 816, 837, 852.
88 S ABS Klingen al 143, 1722.
89 S ABS Klingen al 1053.
90 S ABS Klingen al 1090.
91 S ABS Klingen al 192.
92 S ABS Klingen al 1330.
93 S ABS Klingen al 1360.
114 Monas ic Economic Powe in he La e Medie al Ci y
94 S ABS Klingen al 1360.
95 S ABS Klingen al 1016/936, 1036, 1122, 1347, 1511, 1557/1559, 157, 2285,
2390, 606. 940.
96 I ha e ga he ed all in o ma ion ega ding Klingen al’s income om en s and
houses in a da abase, which is a ailable open access: h ps://da a e se.ha a d.
edu/da ase .xh ml?pe sis en Id=doi:10.7910/DVN/KTTSZ2. As Gilomen has
shown in his by now classical landma k s udy, Basel was he egion’s leading
inancial cen e in e ms o bo h en and house economy. Thus, Klingen al was
in good company; Gilomen, Ren enkau , 83–85.
97 C . Chap e 4 – The Economic and In e nal S uc u e.
98 Gilomen, Ren enkau , 54.
99 Weis-Mülle , Die Re o m, 41–42.
100 Degle -Spengle and Ch is , “Basel, Klingen al,” 553; and Weis-Mülle , Die
Re o m, 48–49.
101 Re o ming a con en agains hei will was legally no easy; and e o me s all
o e Eu ope sough o de ise ways o impose e o ms on ecalci an commu-
ni ies, some imes ab ica ing s o ies allowing hem o impose e o ms; Mülle ,
F om he Clois e o he S a e, 185–189.
102 This was a ypical s a egy o e o m a he ime; see also Mülle , F om he
Clois e o he S a e, 157–158; 181–186.
103 Weis-Mülle , Die Re o m, 49–50.
104 Weis-Mülle , Die Re o m, 50–53; and Degle -Spengle and Ch is , “Basel,
Klingen al,” 553–554.
105 Weis-Mülle , Die Re o m, 52–54.
106 Degle -Spengle and Ch is , “Basel, Klingen al,” 556.
107 Weis-Mülle , Die Re o m, 55; 124–125.
108 Degle -Spengle and Ch is , “Basel, Klingen al,” 557.
109 Weis-Mülle , Die Re o m, 56.
110 Gilomen-Schenkel and Degle -Spengle , “Basel, Klingen al,” 65; and Knech ,
Ausha en, 189.
111 Hi z, Ein Ne z on Schulden, 11–12; and Muld ew, Economy, 103–110.
112 Double en y accoun ing was mo e common in I alian con en s, albei equen ly
wi h less weal h o accoun o ; Syl ie DuVal, “Sc i e e, con a e, ges i e. I lib i di
amminis azione dei monas e i emminili io en ini (1320–1460),” in: Sc i u e,
Ca ismi, Is i uzioni. Pe co si di i a eligiosa in e à mode na. S udi pe Gab iella
Za i, ed. Conce a Bianca and Anna Sca igno (Rome: Edizioni di S o ia e le -
e a u a, 2018), 85–104.
113 Weis-Mülle , Die Re o m, 34.
114 Weis-Mülle , Die Re o m, 33–35.
115 Fo he p emode n cul u e o c edi , see Muld ew, Economy, 123–196.
116 Gilomen, Die G undhe scha , 111; 123–124.
When I s a ed esea ching his p ojec , I did no expec o w i e a success
s o y. In ac , he deg ee o which con en s such as Klingen al and No e-
Dame lou ished in he la e Middle Ages came as a su p ise. I had long known,
o cou se, ha he old his o iog aphical na a i e o monas ic decline in he
la e Middle Ages was aul y. A g owing numbe o s udies, including my
own wo k on Fon e aud, ha e shown ha he e was no uni e sal monas ic
decline in la e medie al Eu ope – and many con en s, such as Fon e aud,
expe ienced a enewed ise o in luence du ing he i een h and six een h
cen u ies. Innume able con en s o ea ly and high medie al o igin exis ed
o many cen u ies, some e en o mo e han a millennium. In hose egions
whe e he Re o ma ion did no ake oo , i was he F ench Re olu ion and
Eu opean Secula iza ion which b ough abou he end o many medie al
monas e ies. To pu i somewha polemically, o any ins i u ion o exis o
such long s e ches o ime as many emale monas e ies did, i s adminis a-
o s had o ha e a p o ound unde s anding o how o un hei ins i u ions.
A he same ime, conside ing he long pe iod o hei exis ence un il he
six een h (Re o ma ion) o ea ly nine een h cen u y (Secula iza ion), any his-
o ian s udying hem in hei longue du ée will na u ally come ac oss pe iods
o c ises. Tha such pe iods o c isis a e mo e easily disce ned o he la e
han o he high Middle Ages does no come as a su p ise ei he . I is only o
his la e pe iod ha accoun books p o ide de ailed insigh s. Mo eo e , he
pe iod’s obse an e o me s we e p oli ic w i e s who jus i ied hei in usi e
e o ms by po aying un e o med con en li e in d as ic, albei equen ly
exagge a ed e ms, which ha e in luenced also la e pe cep ions o la e me-
die al monas icism.
Al hough s ill looming in he backg ound o he ield, he his o iog aphi-
cal no ion o a high medie al monas ic peak and la e medie al decline is no
p edominan in he ield anymo e. The e o e, i would no in i sel jus i y
w i ing a monog aph aiming a debunking i . Ne e heless, i s con inuous
looming was an incen i e leading me o wonde abou he s uc u al se up(s)
o con en s and hei long- e m e olu ion. The phenomenon o monas e ies
as ins i u ions ha we e i mly embedded in he socie y su ounding hem,
ins i u ions ha li ed h ough wa s, na u al ca as ophes, and p o ound
Conclusion
This chap e has been made a ailable unde a CC-BY-NC-ND license
DOI: 10.4324/9781003299905-8
116 Conclusion
socie al and economic changes, has long in e es ed me. I wan ed o know as
o how hey succeeded o wea he he many s o ms o ime, which ac o s
allowed hem do so, and which e en ually p o ed s uc u ally h ea ening.
My speci ic in e es in s uc u al ques ions, longue-Du ée de elopmen s, and
s a egies caused me o ocus on cha e s as p ima y sou ces, while la gely
bypassing accoun books. Accoun books a e a ich sou ce o inqui ies con-
ce ning e e yday aspec s o economic p ac ices. Howe e , o a ocus on
s uc u es, cha e s a e mo e e ela o y, as hey allow o disce ning pa e s
along wi h changes o policy and s a egy.
A second incen i e was he ques ion o women and powe in medie al
Eu ope. As discussed in he in oduc ion, he ques ion has ecei ed inc easing
a en ion o e he cou se o he pas h ee decades. Howe e , his a en ion
has been limi ed o queens and o he lay noblewomen and he powe s hese
wielded di ec ly o indi ec ly.1 Women eligious ha e hi he o been bypassed
in his con ex ,2 ei he because schola s in e es ed in he ques ion a e no
awa e o he many secula sides inhe en o medie al monas icism o because
his o ians ci cum en he ques ion by ea ing monas ic his o y as a subjec
apa om social his o y.3 Bo h iews (o he absence o iews) ha e no only
p oduced an impo an his o iog aphical lacuna, bu also dis o ed schola ly
pe cep ions o eli e women’s agencies in medie al socie y. As he p e ious
chap e s ha e shown, he e we e many secula aspec s o medie al monas i-
cism. As any o he medie al ins i u ion, also monas e ies had o be able o
sus ain hei communi ies. This necessi a ed hem being economic en i ies
ha p oduced c ops, collec ed e enues, and assumed esponsibili y o he
men and women wo king hei lands. Mo eo e , monas e ies we e ubiqui-
ous in medie al Eu ope; hey we e he mano ial lo ds, landlo ds, and en -
buye s o innume able indi iduals in u ban and u al en i onmen s alike.
Monas e ies we e a cen al pilla o he medie al economy and an inhe en
pa o socie y, which i sel was deeply eligious. Thus, i seemed in e es ing
o a numbe o easons o app oach emale monas icism om a social and
economic pe spec i e in o de o e eal hese ins i u ions and he women
who led hem as powe ul ac o s o medie al socie y.
To do so, I selec ed ou nunne ies which a e ep esen a i e o op- ie
con en s no h o he Alps. The chosen sample was o e lec he di e ences
and simila i ies, while limi ing he numbe o con en s o allow o an in-
dep h engagemen wi h hei his o ies and hei economic sou ces. Th ee o
he ou con en s we e o ea ly medie al o igin, sha ing a numbe o s uc-
u al simila i ies, bu also mani es ing di e ences. O he h ee, Buchau Ab-
bey was he smalles in e ms o pa imony and secula in luence. I s au ho i y
p ima ily ex ended o e a ms eads and small illages in an o e all u al se -
ing. As such, Buchau is he mos ypical ep esen a i e o a mano ial abbey.
In p emode n Eu ope, he e we e innume able con en s whose s uc u e and
se up made hem pa o he local uling eli e and allowed hei communi y
a com o able li e, albei wi hou making hem powe ul seigneu s o an-
s egional impo ance. Feudal Eu ope p o ided ample oom o many small
Conclusion 117
and mid-sized mano s and lo dships, bu had only limi ed capaci ies o big
playe s – secula o eligious.
Whe he small o la ge, ea ly medie al ounda ions sha ed mos o hei
s uc u al ai s; Buchau, No e-Dame, F aumüns e , and o he s de i ed hei
au ho i y and weal h om hei landed pa imony which equipped hem
wi h a - anging mano ial igh s. And hey equen ly enjoyed a numbe o
eudal p e oga i es – such as he igh o collec axes and dispense he high-
es deg ee o jus ice. Despi e di e ences in size and loca ion, hei s uc u al
simila i ies make hem compa able no only among each o he , bu hey also
allow us o hink o Buchau, No e-Dame, and F aumüns e as case s udies
ep esen ing his ype o monas ic ins i u ion in gene al.
A o ma i e ac o o he possibili ies and limi s o an ins i u ion’s long-
e m de elopmen was i s en i onmen . This included i s icini y (u ban o
u al), size and s uc u e o i s pa imony, numbe and na u e o local com-
pe i o s, along wi h access o ma ke s, and he like. While such ac o s did
no solely de e mine whe he a con en would lou ish o decline, hey did
se he ame in which he ins i u ion’s leade s ac ed. Thus, in he case o
Buchau, he densi y o ci ies and monas e ies in Uppe Swabia in he la e
Middle Ages pu limi s o he abbey’s possibili ies o e i o ial expansion. A
he same ime, his densi y o neighbo s was no bad o Buchau’s long- e m
de elopmen . Ra he , i b ough s abili y o he egion, as i es ablished an
equilib ium o powe among local ac o s. No single ac o in he egion could
ha e hoped o gain o e all dominion, and he densi y o ins i u ions and ci -
ies allowed Buchau o o ge alliances wi hou isking o become dependen
on he goodwill o any single pa on. Thus, Buchau’s la e medie al abbesses
bene i ed om an en i onmen which allowed hem o a i m hei e i o ial
and ju idical au ho i y ela i ely undis u bed, e en i his au ho i y emained
geog aphically con ined.
The en i onmen s o bo h No e-Dame de Soissons and F aumüns e o
Zu ich we e a a ime mo e complex and mo e allowing. Equipped wi h
as and ou s e ched pa imonies since hei espec i e ounda ions, bo h
ins i u ions aced a numbe o simila challenges. Powe ul local i als in
he o m o dukes, bishops, o a ising ci izen y ied o hegemony. Mo eo-
e , bo h abbeys needed o consolida e hei espec i e e i o ial possessions
which s e ched o e much bigge a eas han hose o Buchau. Finally, lo-
ca ed in as -g owing u ban cen e s, No e-Dame and F aumüns e had o
adap o he changing u ban economy o which hey we e also an in eg al
pa . None o hese we e mino challenges. The ap ness o he ins i u ions’
go e nmen s – hei long- e m economic and e i o ial s a egies – was he
mos de e mining ac o o hei longue du ée-de elopmen . The p e ious
chap e s ha e shown ha o a con en o be economically h i ing in la e
medie al Eu ope, i had o dispose o a di e si ied economic po olio. This
applies o bo h ea ly and la e medie al ounda ions. Depending on hei
espec i e pe iod o o igin, a con en ’s economic basis was ei he buil o be
di e si ied om he s a (Klingen al) o ac i ely adap ed o become so o e a

118 Conclusion
p olonged pe iod be ween he hi een h and i een h cen u ies (No e-Dame
and Buchau).
I is app op ia e o speak o economic s a egies in his con ex , as bo h
he se up and he adap a ions o he monas ic economy we e g adual p o-
cedu es ha happened o e he cou se o se e al gene a ions. When ob-
se ing he s a egies ollowed by indi idual ins i u ions and he simila i ies
be ween hem, i becomes ob ious ha he con en s and hei leade ships
unde s ood economy and ga e i ample a en ion. Howe e , as we ha e also
seen, his economic unde s anding was unequally dispe sed o a leas he
ac ions ha one would expec o ollow om such an unde s anding di -
e ed ma kedly. Buchau, No e-Dame, and Klingen al mas e ed hei eco-
nomic challenges by implemen ing p oac i e policies, while F aumüns e
e en ually los con ol.
I he cha e s o No e-Dame, Buchau, and F aumüns e only shed ligh
on gene al endencies o hei espec i e e i o ial and economic s a egies,
he weal h o Klingen al’s economic sou ces g an s mo e de ailed insigh s.
These insigh s con i m, in e u n, he gene al endencies obse ed o he
ins i u ions o ea ly medie al o igin: in he la e Middle Ages, a sound ins i u-
ional economy es ed on wo pilla s: (1) ag a ian possessions and e enues
and (2) inancial in es men s and e enues. In he cases o eudal ins i u ions,
no a ial and ju idical ac s b ough addi ional e enues, p o ided he ins i u-
ion in ques ion had no aliena ed hese p e oga i es. Despi e he inc eas-
ingly mone ized u ban economy, e enues in kind emained cen al also in
he la e Middle Ages as hey ensu ed he ins i u ion’s alimen a y au onomy.
Klingen al’s disce nable ocus on amassing clus e s o a able land du ing he
hi een h and ou een h cen u ies e eals he con inuous impo ance o
ag a ian possessions, e en o an u ban con en wi h ample inancial means
and access o an ele a ed numbe o egional ma ke s (Chap e 4).
Al hough ne e becoming all-encompassing, money did become cen al
o he la e medie al economy, including he monas ic economy. Monas e ies
needed money o pay o goods pu chased on ma ke s, o pay o building
ma e ials, and o emune a e he c a smen, con esso s, and p ies s in hei
se ice. Mo eo e , con en s needed o manage hei ins i u ion’s mone a y
e enues which also became mo e equen a ha ime. In he absence o
mode n banks, hey needed o ind ways o u n he g owing numbe o
inancial dona ions and ounda ions in o egula e enues. Con a y o a -
able land, an endowmen in shillings o gulden did no by i sel bea ui s.
An ins i u ion hus had o choose be ween he (unp oduc i e) hoa ding o
coins in a easu e chambe and he in es men o said coins o make hem
p oduce a egula in lux o money, jus as land b ough an annual in lux
o c ops. As he cases o Klingen al, and o a lesse deg ee hose o No e-
Dame and Buchau, ha e shown, he con en s in es ed hei cash o pu chase
en s and eal y (Chap e s 3 and 5). Klingen al’s cha e s e en allow o pu
app oxima e numbe s on he e enues he con en annually collec ed om
en s and leases: 865 pounds sil e by he waning i een h cen u y. This was
Conclusion 119
a lo o money and he equi alen o 1/12 o he en i e mone a y ounda ions
egis e ed in Klingen al’s anni e sa y book. E e y 12 yea s, he con en hus
egained he sum wi h which hund eds o anni e sa y ounde s had endowed
Klingen al o e he cou se o wo cen u ies (Chap e 5). O cou se, hese 865
pounds we e bu a ac ion o he annual e enues Klingen al collec ed om
ounda ions, en s, g ain ields, and ineya ds. In addi ion o money, he e
we e many housand li e s o wine, g ain, and spices, along wi h li es ock
o a ious kinds. The o al wen a beyond he amoun s needed o eed
Klingen al’s inhabi an s, pensione s, and he men and women in i s se ice.
Conside ing Klingen al’s g ea weal h, bo h in he o m o ag icul u al pos-
sessions and e enue asse s, he ci y’s e o s o p ocu e hem o Basel a e
he con en ’s dissolu ion is ha dly su p ising.
***
F om a s uc u al pe spec i e, he ins i u ions unde conside a ion we e
success ul – albei eaching di e en deg ees o success. To euse he image
o success as a h ee- ie podium, all ou con en s easily eached he i s
ie . They all exis ed o nume ous cen u ies h ough which hey p o ided
com o able li ing o he membe s o hei communi y. Th ee ou o ou ,
i.e., No e-Dame, Buchau, and Klingen al, eached he op ie . One may in-
deed desc ibe hei economic de elopmen in e ms o a success s o y. These
con en s and hei leade ships e y much unde s ood he p e equisi es o
economic soundness – and hey ac ed acco dingly, adap ed whe e necessa y,
showing enaci y and long- e m pe spec i es. Ins i u ional success he e o e
did no esul om he go e nmen o one pa icula ly able abbess (o p io -
ess), bu i was he ui o gene a ions o able leade s.
The same is ue o he e e se. The e i o ial and economic decline o
an ins i u ion did no happen o e nigh . As he case o F aumüns e has
illus a ed, decline ook simila ly long as s abiliza ion. The easons o his
a e wo old. Fi s , he aliena ion o impo an s uc u al esou ces, such as
he abbey’s coinage igh s and Fe igungen had no immedia e nega i e e ec s.
Ra he , hese only became isible when Zu ich’s council de ac o and de ju e
became independen om he abbey du ing he ou een h cen u y, a which
poin hese igh s along wi h he income and in luence a ached o hem we e
los o he abbey o good (Chap e 3). Second, he selling o land o he
ci y and o o he monas ic ins i u ions o mee immedia e inancial obliga-
ions was nei he uncommon no pe se p oblema ic. Many ins i u ions e-
pea edly sold pa s o i s pa imony, hi een h-cen u y Buchau being one o
hem. Howe e , in he long un, he aliena ion o pa imony dec eased he
e i o ial and economic ounda ion o he ins i u ion in ques ion, unless i s
leade ship ound s a egies o coun e balance he losses and gene a ed di e -
en sou ces o income. The consequences became only isible in he long un,
long a e he ac s.
I is impo an o emembe ha s uc u al success is no he same as
gene a ing sho - e m p o i s. The monas ic economy aimed o gene a e an
120 Conclusion
equilib ium be ween e enues and expenses. And as hese ins i u ions we e
hough o as being ounded o e e ni y, he equilib ium had o be achie ed
in gene al, no in he sho e m. The e o e, pe iods o c ises when expenses
exceeded e enues, and when a numbe o asse s had o be aliena ed, we e
conside ed no mal. Howe e , ecognizing he poin when a c i ical mass o
aliena ed pa imony had been eached was no always easy – he nuns and
abbesses o F aumüns e ce ainly missed i , while Buchau’s con en ecog-
nized i and succeeded o u n hings a ound.
A he end o his book, I e u n o he ques ion o powe , o mo e p ecisely
as o whe he he con en s unde conside a ion and he women who led hem
we e, in ac , powe ul. In he essay, Ch is ine Reinle iden i ies ma e ial and
social esou ces as cen al ac o s o au ho i y in medie al Eu ope.4 Acco d-
ing o Reinle, e ec i eness o au ho i y depended on s uc u al, in as uc-
u al, and social weal h. The pe son o ins i u ion in cha ge needed o possess
he ma e ial esou ces o impose hei will, o keep he peace among hei
people, and he social esou ces o g an a o s and dis a o s and hus o
e ec i ely os e and egula e pa on-clien ela ionships.5 Applied o No e-
Dame, Buchau, F aumüns e , and Klingen al, he answe is de ini ely an a -
i ma i e one. All h ee con en s o ea ly medie al o igin disposed o he
ma e ial and imma e ial esou ces, including ju isdic ion and he igh o
pa don, o en o ce hei will, and o keep i als a bay. While Klingen al did
no wield any seigneu ial au ho i y, i s nuns also we e powe ul. Thei powe
was de i ed om hei economic oo hold in Basel, which allowed hem o
epel he combined e o m e o s o he ci y council and he Dominicans.
They e en succeeded o oblige he monks o pay he y epa a ions o he
inancial losses Klingen al had endu ed du ing he b ie pe iod o en o ced
obse ance (Chap e 5).
Con a y o his, he case o F aumüns e may se e once mo e as an ex-
ample o g adual decline – also in ega d o he abbey’s au ho i y. A e ha -
ing been se up as a pala ine and ep esen a i e o oyal au ho i y in he
Zu ich a ea (Chap e 2), F aumüns e ’s as pa imony con inuously sh ank
since he ou een h cen u y. By he i een h cen u y, he abbey had los
mos o i s eudal p e oga i es o he ci y council and, wi h hem, mos o i s
o me au ho i y. When he con en was plagued by in e nal and inancial
c ises du ing he i een h cen u y, he women we e no able o sol e hese
con lic s by hemsel es bu had o call on Zu ich’s council and e en ually
subjec hemsel es o he p lege he council dispa ched o he abbey (Chap-
e 3). Dep i ed o i s o me ma e ial and social esou ces, he abbess had
los mos i s e ec i e powe by he ea ly six een h cen u y. Howe e , he
case o F aumüns e seems o ha e been he excep ion, no he no m. As his
s udy sugges s, he majo i y o con en s consolida ed hei au ho i y a he
han los i du ing he waning Middle Ages. Mo eo e , one should no make
he mis ake o see all o F aumüns e ’s his o y in he ligh o i s e en ual
decline. While ce ainly inadequa ely managed du ing i s wo inal cen u-
ies, F aumüns e Abbey was ne e heless a powe ul ins i u ion in Zu ich
h oughou he Middle Ages.
Conclusion 121
***
Wha e e hei names – Odeline de T achy o No e-Dame (1256–1273), Elis-
abe h on We zikon o F aumüns e (1270–1298), Anna on Gundel ingen
o Buchau (1402–1410), o Cla a zu S ein o Klingen al (1447–1452) – hese
monas ic women, like uncoun able o he s o e Eu ope, habi ually wielded au-
ho i y. The impac o hei decisions, ound solely o in consensus wi h hei
con en , ex ended a beyond he walls o hei indi idual nunne y. These
women we e esponsible no only o he inhabi an s o hei con en – nuns,
pensione s, and se an s – bu also o hund eds o peasan s, in ne s, and
s ewa ds in hei se ice. And mos o all, hey bo e he esponsible o hei
ins i u ion’s well-being, sho and long e m. They had o ensu e ha con en
buildings, chu ches, bu also a ms, mills, and communal o ens we e well
main ained, and ha hei economic decisions o selling o acqui ing land
would b ing bene i s o hei monas ic communi y, p esen and u u e.
This book opened wi h a ic i ious scene, and i will likewise close wi h
one ha illus a es abba ial esponsibili ies and he many ac i i ies going on
in a clois e on any gi en day:
I Odeline, Elisabe h, Anna, o Cla a looked ou o he window o hei
espec i e abba ial o p io ial o ice, hei eyes would always mee e en
ac i i ies: G ain being measu ed when i was deli e ed o he g aina y; nex
o he chu ch hey could see he c a smen who we e engaged in epai s o
in e ec ing a new building on he monas ic compound. They migh obse e
handmaids helping he cooks o ca y ing edien s o he ki chen o he day’s
main meal, ing edien s which he se an s had p ocu ed on he own ma ke
o collec ed om he con en ’s s ock ooms ha we e illed wi h he dues
he peasan s had deli e ed. A he ga e, hey migh see mayo s and s ewa ds
a i ing om he su ounding illages. Maybe, he men had come o see
he abbess o discuss he wine ha es o o epo on he si ua ion on he
a ms eads and illages, o maybe hey had come o in o m he abou he
se lemen o a dispu e be ween illage s, o ye , o ask he consen so ha
a wedding be ween wo se s could ake place, o again, hey had come o
p epa e he upcoming cou days o be held a he abbey. In he cou ya d,
an onlooking p io ess migh see he bu sa ess and cella ess discussing he
s a e o he pan ies be o e win e , while he calenda ian hu ying a numbe
o nuns o he choi o pe o m ha day’s pos -obi se ices. Maybe, while
wa ching all his, he abbess o p io ess was ponde ing o e he ques ion
whe he he acquisi ion o a ineya d o i buying an annual en om a
ce ain ci izen would be he be e long- e m in es men o he ins i u ion.
Wha e e he name o he abbess o p io ess wa ching om he o ice win-
dow, whe e e he con en was loca ed, and whiche e he p ecise objec o
he conce ns a ha momen , we may be ce ain o wo hings. Fi s ha she
was awa e o bo h he au ho i y and esponsibili ies and second ha nei he
she no any o he con empo a ies hough hese o be s ange. Monas ic
women wielding powe we e an ubiqui ous sigh in medie al Eu ope, a sigh
so common ha only mode n s uden s o he Middle Ages may come ac oss
hem wi h su p ise, whe eas none o he con empo a ies did.
128 Tabula Con en o Klingen al's Anni e sa y Book
Page Anni e sa y Founde Endowmen No es
9 . Mo ning Die Schale in 37 pounds and 1 pound o
money
10 . Ch is mas E e Die Helblinge in 11 pounds and 7 pounds
money
Each sis e should be gi en 1 shilling, he es o
anni e sa y and „übe den isch geben“
10 . Ch is mas Rudol on
Lengenbe g and his
wi e
3 scha z ine
15 . S. S ephen A man 1 eygen (?)
15 . Sis e Elsinen on
Tagsdo
1 gulden
15 . S. John Die O la e in 18 shilling
15 . A woman 19 pounds
16 . G ed Schulmeis e in,
pensione a
Klingen al
130 gulden when she was
ali e, a e he dea h
ano he 97 gulden om
he household i ems, and
100 pounds and 8 pounds
and 2 gulden money o
he anni e sa y
17 . Am Kinlein Tag Die on Baldegk 34 pounds
17 . Die on S ein 10 shilling
17 . Vog on B ambach
and his wi es
10 pounds
17 . Meis e Hein ich
Kelle
2 pounds „übe den isch geben“
18 . S. Sil es e Die am Weg and he
son
19 pounds
18 . We nly am Rein 1 gulden money

Tabula Con en o Klingen al's Anni e sa y Book 129
19 . Hans on
Habkhusheim –
Bu sa o Klingen al
11 pounds and 8 pounds
money, ines wo h 150
pounds, and a e his
dea h: 73 pounds and 20
ie nzel g ain, 1 ie nzel
money
“Andem io wa B ude hans on habkhushein
unse s scha ne s io zi on des beg eb wa d uns
11 P und und 8 P und gel z und eben wa en 150
P und we . E gab uns öch an sinen od 73 P und
und 20 ie nzel Ko ns und ein i nzel Geld. Zu
eine speng (?). e he uns öch geben 3 Vie nzal
Roggen und 4 Vie nzal Hab en und 29 Hüne
on dem sol man 3 P und zu de Mes des on
Wagen P ünd geben und das üb ig zu sinem io zi
ube isch gen. E he uns och geben 4 Pound
Geld zu sine o d en io zi dz sol man began
u annuciacio domica. An dem ag waz Hein ich
B unad en und sine öwen io zi die gaben uns
1 P und Geld sol man ube isch geben. An dem
Tag wa swes e Me zy on We io zi die gab uns
2 P und an dem ag wa de on eg ingen io zi
die gab uns 8 P und und 10 Schilling gel z. An dem
Tag wa he Cun a Gypse s io zi . on dem wa d
uns 68 ma ck we on dem sol man 2 P und ube
isch geben. An dem ag wa de Gibse in und i
Mume io zi , die gab uns 55 P und.”
19 . De on Wagen
p ebenda y ( ounded
by Hans on
Habkhusheim?)
3 ie nzel ye und 4 ie nzel
oa s und 29 chickens, 2
pounds o mass
19 . Annuncia io
dominica
Hans on
Habkhusheim
4 pounds money o his i s
anni e sa y
19 . Hein ich B unad en
and his wi e
1 pound
19 . Sis e Me zy on Weh 2 pounds
19 . Those on Eg ingen 8 pounds and 10 shilling
19 . Cun a Gypse s 68 ma ks
19 . Die Gibse in and he
ela i es
55 pounds
20 . Those zu Kinden/
Ze kinden
9 ma ks while ali e, and
a e he demise: 9 pounds;
a e he husband’s dea h:
a good wo h 40 ma ks
and 1 pound o money
20 . Cun zmann on
Wal pach
23 pounds
20 . Die Zielempin 37 shilling
20 . Mo ning A Woman 1 ma k
20 . Die Rö enen 5 pounds
20 . Hans Helblings 55 pounds and 30 shilling 30 shilling „übe den isch geben“
21 . Kindlein ag Hans Ul ich on Hus–
illicus o Basel
Mins e
2 gulden „übe den isch geben“
(Con inued)
130 Tabula Con en o Klingen al's Anni e sa y Book
Page Anni e sa y Founde Endowmen No es
21 . 12 e e A man 8 scha z ine and 4 shilling
21 . Die Gasse in and he
husband
100 pounds (minus 5 pounds
and 10 shilling)
21 . De Kelle 2 pounds and 1 pound
21 . B o he Pe e Yselis 1 gulden “sol man halben ube isch gen und halben in de
Scha ne in kis en”
21 . Ulis on Müns e and
his wi e
1 gulden, 32 pounds “uns wa d noch in ba en Geld on inen 32 P und”
22 . Two men 9 scha z ines A ligh o be li in chapel on hei anni e sa y
22 . A woman 3 pounds
22 . Die Geysle in 6 scha z ines 10 shilling „übe den isch geben“
22 . A man and his wi e 5 shilling
22 . He Hans on Liel
and his wi e
5 pounds
22 . Die on Tege eld 11 pounds, 3 shilling, and
5 ie nzel spel money,
9 ie nzel oa s money,
3 ie nzel ye money,
and o he anni e sa y:
5 ie nzel ye money, 5
ie nzel oa s money, 1
ie nzel ba ley money, and
2 pounds 5 shilling and 4
gulden money
Fo h ee anni e sa ies:
1. Fo he sel
2. Fo he husband and son
3. He pa en s and ances o s
22 . Mo ning De Keilenen (?) 20 pounds, 9 ie nzel g ain
money, 30 shilling
22 . A man 2 scha z ines
22 . Die appo egge in ( he
( emale) pha macis )
40 ma ks wo h o sil e
Tabula Con en o Klingen al's Anni e sa y Book 131
23 . 1. Janua y 13,
1442
2. Na i i a is
Ma ie
3. S. Ma hew
4. Ki chweihe
Sis e G ed on
Ep ingen
4 gulden, 5 ie nzel spel
money, 1.5 saum wine-
money, 2 pounds o
pe pe ual money, 4 gulden,
and 4 gulden
1. 8 shilling o be paid o he eigh p ies s who
celeb a e equiem mass
2. Fo he anni e sa y o Hans Pyhan z on Ep ingen
and all his child en: 5 ie nzel spel money and
1 ie nzel o which o be added o Adelheid on
Ep ingen’s anni e sa y, ano he ie nzel o he
own pa en s’ anni e sa y
3. 4 gulden o he anni e sa y o he pa en s and he
ela i e, Ve ena on Olsbe g
4. 4 gulden o he anni e sa y o all he siblings and
o Ve ena on Olsbe g
24 . Sis e G ed on
Ep ingen
25 gulden 25 gulden o Sis e Elsy and Sis e Ennelin Ze gel in;
i one o hem dies, he o he will ecei e he 25
gulden minus he 4 gulden which should be added
o he deceased sis e ’s anni e sa y; upon he dea h
o he second, ano he 4 gulden (o he emaining
21 gulden) o he second sis e ’s anni e sa y
25 . ? Sis e Anna Ze gel in 4 gulden Fo Sis e F an Roilin and Ludwig on Ep ingen
du ing hei li e ime, a e wa ds o Klingen al
25 . Sis e G ed on
Ep ingen
5 gulden Fo he anni e sa y o Sis e Ve ena Roilin
25 . Sis e G ed on
Ep ingen
3 pounds To sac is y
1 pound o Ve ena Roilin
1 pound o anni e sa y o Cla a zu Rhein,
5 shilling o anni e sa y o G ed on Ep ingen, 5
shilling o anni e sa y o Els Ze gel in Jah zei ,
and 5 shilling o he own anni e sa y (Anna
Ze gel in)
25 . Sis e G ed on
Ep ingen
4 gulden
(Con inued)
132 Tabula Con en o Klingen al's Anni e sa y Book
Page Anni e sa y Founde Endowmen No es
25 . Ma ian Feas
Day (S.
Ma ien)
Sis e G ed on
Ep ingen
4 gulden Fo anni e sa y o Sis e Elsin zu Rhein, 4 shilling o
he p ies s who celeb a e equiem mass
25 . S. Ma in Sis e G ed on
Ep ingen
3 gulden Fo anni e sa y o Vi z ume and Ve ena on Olspe g
25 . S. And ew Sis e G ed on
Ep ingen
4 gulden Fo anni e sa y o all ai h ul souls bu ied a
Klingen al
25 . S. Egidius Sis e G ed on
Ep ingen
4 gulden Fo anni e sa y o he b o he Pe e Mas on
Ep ingen, he sis e Anne on Ep ingen, and he
ela i e Schale in
26 . Ca ni al Sis e G ed on
Ep ingen
2 gulden Fo anni e sa y o Me zena zum Wighus, Cla a
Kuchimeis e in, and Ve ena (a ela i e)
26 . Sis e G ed on
Ep ingen
1 shilling o he p ies s celeb a ing he equiem
masses o he a o emen ioned anni e sa ies
26 . Sis e G ed on
Ep ingen
10 gulden Fo he ches o he bu sa ess
27 . Sis e G ed on
Ep ingen
5 gulden Fo Ma hias Sch eibe du ing his li e ime, and a e
his dea h: money o be added o anni e sa y und
o he sis e Adelhei on Ep ingen and Ma hias
Jah zei , i e shilling o which o he p ies s
celeb a ing equiem masses
27 . Sis e G ed on
Ep ingen
8 shilling, 4 chickens Fo Elsin Ze gel z du ing he li e ime
28 . Sis e G ed on
Ep ingen
G ed on Ep ingen has gi en a o al o 77 gulden
29 . ? Sis e Engel ud on
Ep ingen
8 gulden Fo he own anni e sa y
29 . S. Lucius Sis e Engel ud on
Ep ingen
2 gulden Fo anni e sa y o B o he Ge mann Schollen
29 . Tuesday o
Thu sday a e
All Sain s
Sis e Engel ud on
Ep ingen
5 gulden Fo anni e sa y o Sis e Engel ud and e e yone who
has been good o he
29 . Go diani and
Epimachii
Sis e Engel ud on
Ep ingen
4 gulden Fo anni e sa y o he b o he Ve ena on Ep ingen
Tabula Con en o Klingen al's Anni e sa y Book 133
29 . Tuesday o
Thu sday a e
S. Ma in
Sis e Engel ud on
Ep ingen
4 gulden Fo anni e sa y o Sis e Engel ud on Ep ingenund
and all he siblings
30 . Mo ning a e S.
Se acius
Sis e Engel ud on
Ep ingen
4 gulden Fo anni e sa y o Sis e G edlin on F iesen
30 . S. Elizabe h Sis e Engel ud on
Ep ingen
2 gulden Fo anni e sa y o Sis e Elsy on Ep ingen
30 . S. Kaise Hein ich
Tag (Hen y II,
July 13)
Sis e Engel ud on
Ep ingen
3 gulden Fo anni e sa y o he b o he Sis e Engel ud and
e e yone who has been good o he
30 . S. Ma in Sis e Engel ud on
Ep ingen
19 gulden 19 gulden o Sis e B id zu Rhein du ing he li e ime,
ou o which o be used o he anni e sa y a e
he dea h, he emainde o be added o he own
anni e sa y (Engel ud on Ep ingen)
30 . Oc a
Assumpcionis
Sis e Engel ud on
Ep ingen
5 gulden Fo anni e sa y o he pa en s
30 . ? Sis e Engel ud on
Ep ingen
5 gulden Fo anni e sa y o Sis e Engel ud on Ep ingen and
he ela i e Ve ena Schalle in on Olspe g
31 . Sis e B idly zu Rhein 5 gulden Fo Sis e s Ka he in Waldin, B idly, and Magdalen
du ing hei li e ime; a e hei dea hs: money o
be added o hei anni e sa y und
31 . Sis e B idly zu Rhein 20 gulden To be used o eed he poo on he anni e sa y o
Sis e Ve enen on Ep ingen
31 . Sis e B idly zu Rhein 12 shillings, 100 eggs, and 2
chickens
Fo he own anni e sa y and ha o he ances o s
31 . Sis e B idly zu Rhein 5 gulden Fo Ma hisen Sch ibe and Hansen Ob es du ing
hei li e ime, and upon hei dea h: o hei
anni e sa y and ha o Sis e Adelheid on
Ep ingen
33 . ? Sis e B idly zu Rhein 5 gulden Fo he anni e sa y o on Ep ingen who los hei
li e du ing he Ba le o Sempach (1386), Junke
Pe e mas, Junke Bu kha d, Junke Hans, Junke
Cün zlis, Junke Thi…?, Junke Hein ich, and
Adelheid on G andwik and Agnes on Windegg
(Con inued)

134 Tabula Con en o Klingen al's Anni e sa y Book
Page Anni e sa y Founde Endowmen No es
33 . ? 2 gulden Fo he anni e sa y o Neslin on Ep ingen
33 . ? 2 gulden Fo he anni e sa y o Junke Thu ings on Ep ingen
and Junke Be nha d on Ep ingen and his son
33 . S. Sebas ian 2 gulden Fo he anni e sa y o G ede on Landbe g
34 . Wednesday
be o e Ma ia
Asump ionis
(1460)
Ve en on Ep ingen 3 gulden Fo he anni e sa y
34 . Monday a e
Pe e and Paul
(1451)
Junke Jacob on
Ep ingen
2 gulden, 1 uby 2 gulden „übe den isch geben“
36 . John Bap is To be added o he
p ebends o on
Ep ingen
10 gulden Die ci y o Masmüns e (Mase aux) gi es he money
on S . John Bap is
36 . S. Ma in To be added o he
p ebends o on
Ep ingen
4 pounds, 5 shilling Klingen al gi es annually
36 . To be added o he
p ebends o on
Ep ingen
2 ie nzel spel , 9 ie nzel
ye, 2 ie nzel oa
P io and he con en o Ro enhaus gi e annually
36 . To be added o he
p ebends o on
Ep ingen
10 ie nzel hal spel and
hal oa s
Pe e Teken gi es annually
36 . To be added o he
p ebends o on
Ep ingen
one-eigh h o he i he om
Knoe ingue, 6 o 8 ie zel
Money
Annually
36 . To be added o he
p ebends o on
Ep ingen
1. 11 ie nzel and 4 ses e
1/3 oa s, 2/3 spel , and 5
chickens
2. 6 ie nzel and 3 chickens
3. 3 ie nzel and 2 chickens
Gi e annually
1. Cun z on Sep , called B un
2. Lienha Böglis
3. We nli Rieche s on Hegeheim
37 . To be added o he
p ebends o on
Ep ingen
2 ie nzel spel , 2 small
ses e o oa s, and 2
chickens
Röw on(?) gi es annually
Tabula Con en o Klingen al's Anni e sa y Book 135
37 . De 4 Ko n as en To be added o he
p ebends o on
Ep ingen
10 ie nzel ye The Mille o Hame s ein gi es annually
37 . S. Ma in To be added o he
p ebends o on
Ep ingen
5 shillings and 2 chickens We nli Hu nlis zu Ba sheim gi es annually
37 . The p ebends o on
Ep ingen
The sum o he p ebends: 10 gulden 10 pounds, 40
ie nzel spel , ye, and oa s, and 9 chickens
46 . S. Ka ha ine Sis e G ede on
Munsingen
5 gulden „übe den isch geben“
47 . S. Benedic us Those on Rosens ein 7 ie nzel money 4 ie nzel o anni e sa y, 1 ie nzel o Dominicans,
1 ie nzel o F anciscans, 1 ie nzel o
Augus inians, and 1 ie nzel o he women o S.
Kla a
47 . Ma ian Feas
Day du ing
Len
Sis e Cla a Ze inge in 2 ie nzel money „übe den isch geben“
47 . Go diani and
Epimachii
F au on Bucheck 85 ie nzel money
47 . Go diani and
Epimachii
F au on Usenbe g 2 ie nzel money „übe den isch geben“
48 . Be ween Eas e
and Pen ecos
Hans on Wes e ho en 9 pounds and 4 gulden „übe den isch geben“
48 . Candlemas Those on
Maggenbu g
4 gulden „übe den isch geben“
48 . Candlemas Sis e Cla a and Sis e
Anne on Rams ein
2 gulden „übe den isch geben“
48 . S. Ma g e e Sis e Anna on
Neuenbu g
4 gulden
48 . S. Jacob F au on Bud en(?) 1 pound „übe den isch geben“
50 . S. Jacob Those on Kes elen 1 pound and 1 gulden
50 . Yppolli i B o he Remmun and
(?)
2 gulden „übe den isch geben“
(Con inued)
136 Tabula Con en o Klingen al's Anni e sa y Book
Page Anni e sa y Founde Endowmen No es
50 . Yppolli i F au on Biel and F au
on Neuens ein
1 pound i he money
50 . Be ween
Ch is mas and
Ca ne al
Sis e G ed B enne in 1 pound money
51 . S. An hony He on P i 5 pound
51 . Mo ning A woman 14 pound and 1 ie nzel
g ain money
„übe den isch geben“
51 . A man 5 scha z ines 4 shilling o which “„übe den isch geben“”
51 . A p ies 47 pounds
51 . A man 3 pounds
51 . F au zu Blumen 10 shillings „übe den isch geben“
52 V. ? Sis e Elsme zum Tho 4 gulden „übe den isch geben“
52 V. S. Agnes Sis e Me zina on
Haus und ih e
Mu e
2 pounds and 2 shilling „übe den isch geben“
52 V. S. Agnes Hedine on Aspach 20 ma ks and 15 shilling „übe den isch geben“
53 V. S. Agnes Meis e Simon on
Ma x(?) and U sel
Binige in, his wi e
4 gulden + (?) money 26
pounds
53 V. S. Agnes A woman 1 ie nzel money
53 V. ? F au U sel on
Wal pach die
Wegens e e in
2 gulden „übe den isch geben“
53 V. S. Paul A man 8 pounds while ali e, and
a e his and his wi e’s
dea hs: 2 ields wo h 20
pounds
54 V. ? S. Paul A man 3 pounds
54 V. ? S. Paul F au on P i 30 pounds
54 V. Mo ning He Hug Munch 6 shilling „übe den isch geben“
Tabula Con en o Klingen al's Anni e sa y Book 137
54 V. A woman 2 ie nzel g ain money
54 V. We nhe Ba z 30 pounds
55 . Thu sday be o e
Ou Lady a
Candlemas
Tes amen o Hans on
Eschenbe g, bu sa
o Klingen al
On his day died Hans on Eschenbe g, his beques is
ende ed he e
55 . Tes amen o Hans
on Eschenbe g
5 gulden Fo he anni e sa y o his a he , mo he , and
ances o s; wo shilling o each gulden o he
masses
55 . Tes amen o Hans
on Eschenbe g
4 gulden Fo he anni e sa y o he ai h ul and all hose who
we e good o him
55 . Tes amen o Hans
on Eschenbe g
14 gulden, 4 pounds, and 6
shilling
Fo he main enance o he chu ch and whe e i is
needed
55 . Tes amen o Hans
on Eschenbe g
1 gulden Fo eading ligh s (candles) in he choi
55 . Tes amen o Hans
on Eschenbe g
9 gulden Fo Sis e s Enelin and Ma g e en on Eschenbe g;
upon one o hei dea hs: 4 gulden o he con en ,
hal o i o he anni e sa y; when bo h ha e died:
he en i e y o he anni e sa y o he wo sis e s
and Hans on Eschenbe g’s pa en s. I he sis e s
lea e he con en , he en i e y will be gi en o he
con en
55 . Tes amen o Hans
on Eschenbe g
5 gulden Fo Ba ba a, his wi e, du ing he li e ime, and upon
he dea h: o he pa en ’s anni e sa y
55 . Tes amen o Hans
on Eschenbe g
His g ain money: o he g aina y
55 . Tes amen o Hans
on Eschenbe g
2 wige , 2 j(?) o he con en
55 . Candlemas, e e A woman 10 shilling „übe den isch geben“
55 . Candlemas, e e F au on Hus, F au
on Baldegk
25 pounds and 2 gulden Anni e sa y o F au on Hus, 2 gulden „übe den
isch geben“
55 . Candlemas, e e He Bu ka d on
Mun zigen, chaplain
a Klingen al
10 gulden 20 pounds and 4 ie nzel money o he g aina y,
along wi h 4 pounds minus 5 shilling
(Con inued)