Classen, 'Himmel, Hoelle, Fegefeuer.  Das Jenseits im Mittelalter', Bryn Mawr Medieval Review 9505
URL = http://hegel.lib.ncsu.edu/stacks/serials/bmmr/bmmr-9505-classen-himmel

@@@@95.5.14, Himmel, Hoelle, Fegefeuer

<i>Himmel, Hoelle, Fegefeuer.  Das Jenseits im Mittelalter.</i> 
Katalog von Peter Jezler.  An Exhibition of the Schweizer
Landesmuseum.  Munich: Fink, 1994.  2nd ed.  pp. 449.  
ISBN 3-7705-2964-2.  DM 98.  Multiple Illustrations.
         Reviewed by Albrecht Classen -- University of Arizona

Exhibition catalogues have become a major scholarly enterprise in Europe
for the last twenty years.  The catalogue for the exhibition <i>Die Zeit
der Staufer</i> (The Time of the Hohenstaufens), published in 1977, was
one of many subsequent monumental enterprises to which a host of medieval
scholars from many different disciplines, then museum curators, and other
scholars contributed.  Since then a large number of similar exhibition
catalogues have appeared, highlighting specific historical events,
families, individuals, buildings, and concepts.  As a norm, these
catalogues contain an astounding wealth of factual information, new
critical investigations, and first-rate illustrations.  The same
observation applies to the catalogue to the exhibition on "Heaven, Hell,
and Purgatory" in the Swiss State Museum in Zurich which obviously took
place in 1994 (dates are not given).  The majority of exhibition objects
came from the Schweizer Landesmuseum (Swiss State Museum), the
Schnuetgen-Museum and the Wallraf-Richartz-Museum in Cologne. 

The catalogue is divided in two parts, the first composed of articles on
specific aspects related to the three themes "Heaven, Hell, and
Purgatory," the second composed of the actual catalogue itself with
photographs and illustrations of the wide range of objects reflecting
these themes as seen in the Middle Ages.  These illustrations are
accompanied by detailed descriptions very often of the length of up to one
whole page. Bibliographic references accompany each entry. 

The exhibition, as reflected in this catalogue, was divided into the
following sections: Heathens and early Christians; memento mori; concepts
of the afterlife and preparation for it; death and burial; the preliminary
divine trial system coming immediately after the death; purgatory; end of
times; day of judgment; Hell; and Heaven.  Each of these sections is
divided into several subcategories.  For instance, in "death and burial"
we find the aspects of the danse macabre; confrontation with death; danse
macabre as depicted on swords; <i>ars moriendi</i>, support of the dying
person; burial liturgy; mass for the dead; annual attendance of the grave;
treatment of war casualties and the efforts of the Church to provide a
Christian burial after the fact; and shields and banners as burial
offerings.  Even here, that is, for each exhibited item presented in this
catalogue detailed references to secondary literature are given. 

After the actual catalogue follows a glossary of terms relevant for the
world of the hereafter, again with some illustrations.  Next, Lukas
Dietschy discusses his architectural designs for the exhibition.  An index
of the origin of all illustrations and a wonderfully extensive
bibliography conclude this breath-taking publication. 

Brief comments are due regarding the introductory articles, which are, in
general, but not always, designed as broad surveys.  Peter Jezler examines
medieval concepts of the afterlife, especially of Hell and Purgatory. 

Hans-Dietrich Altendorf traces the development of the idea of Hell in the
early Church (basically a synopsis of Vorgrimler's study, see above). 

Brigitta Rotach discusses the topos of the souls' thirst and the
<i>refrigerium interim</i>, adding an art-historical investigation of the
Jona depiction in reliefs, especially on sarcophagi.  In Christa
Oechslin's article we learn how people in the Middle Ages imagined Heaven
(Heavenly Jerusalem, Paradise), whereas Martina Wehrli-Johns looks at
Purgatory as a notion developed as early as in sixth century (Gregory of
Tours) in the form of an analogy to human society.  She also discusses the
various types of penitentials and the support of the souls in Purgatory
given by the Franciscans and Dominicans. 

Martin Illi presents the various aspects of burial as a preparation for
Purgatory.  Alois M. Haas provides an overview of how death and the world
of the beyond were depicted in medieval German literature.  He takes us
from the period of Old High German (<i>Heliand</i>) to the fifteenth
century (<i>The Ploughman and Death</i> by Johann von Tepl), but he does
not really go beyond his own monograph on the same topic from 1989
(<i>Todesbilder im Mittelalter</i>). 

Very insightful proves to be Susan Marti's and Daniela Mondini's
examination of the role and function attributed to the Virgin Mary's
breasts and her milk as instruments to solicit Christ's mercy for the
sinners.  This article even includes a section on sexual roles in Heaven
with regard to Mary's task as "regina misericordiae" versus the "rex
justitiae."

Bodo Brinkmann surveys the genre of hour books and what they tell us about
medieval concepts of the afterlife.  He discusses concrete examples and
examines their art-historical values and observes that these hour books
were often handed on from generation to generation in the hope that the
descendants would pray for the previous owners. 

In the Late Middle Ages the urban elites strove, as Wolfgang Schmid
convincingly argues, for new forms of self-presentation, which is
reflected in pictures of the patrons of altar pieces, stained glasses,
sculptures, and other objects. 

Roger Seiler investigates the medical practice of preparing for death and
the afterlife.  He also includes an examination how sickness and healing
were seen as divine signs informing the observers about the future fate of
the dying person.  Moreover, he briefly goes into the field of baptism of
unborn children and the need for Caesarean sections.  The combination of
these rather diverse themes deprive his article of its focus, leading to a
hodgepodge of various aspects only loosely connected by means of their
common denominator 'medicine.'

The Waldensians and the "benandanti" and their view of Purgatory is the
subject of Kathrin Utz Tremp's article, in which she discusses in detail
the inquisition register of Bishop Jacques Fournier of Pamiers
(1317-1326).  Whereas the early groups of Waldensians objected to the idea
of Purgatory, later groups adopted it after all, because it gained, as Utz
Tremp argues, overall a popular appeal in the fourteenth century. 

One of the most impressive research papers is presented by Hans-Joerg
Gilomen, who investigates the relationship between death and property,
indulgences, and legal steps taken by governments and institutions to
limit those.  In some areas the clerics were the most influential land and
property holders, against which city councils tried to intervene.  One way
was to pass legislation to allow the heirs to purchase back the property
given to the clerics as payments for masses and other services on behalf
of the dead ones, but the Church heavily opposed any attempt to limit its
income through these channels.  Gilomen is certainly correct in his
conclusion that, long before the Reformation, the appropriation of land
and buildings, for instance, through the Church constituted severe credit
problems and negatively impacted the entire economy. 

Christine Goettler examines the art of altars in Baroque Bologna which
were dedicated to the deceased.  Finally, Roger Seiler presents a
comparative analysis of dying in the Middle Ages and today, but is really
more interested in the problem of how people in the late twentieth century
can die a human death, that is, are allowed to die in a peaceful fashion. 
Whereas the medieval doctor was almost more concerned with the dying
person's soul and its fate in the afterlife, the modern doctor only cares
about preserving the patient's health at any cost.  Seiler therefore calls
for a new "ars moriendi" as a remedy for our modern age. 

Not every article is as clearly structured as it would be desired, and not
every author presents new research findings.  Nevertheless, together with
the stupendous richness of the high- quality illustrations and the wealth
of information, this catalogue is a seminal piece of scholarship on death,
Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven.