Women in 15c Bohemia express themselves on marriage, companionship, daily castle life, and family relations.

The letters of the Rozmberk sisters, Perchta and Anézka, give a vivid insight into how medieval women viewed themselves. Perchta's letters inform her father that his choice of a husband for her has caused her desperate sadness and sorrow in which death seems a better alternative. Despite her unhappiness and her almost total dependence on others, however, Perchta undertook to take control of her own fate and to improve the circumstances of her life. Her letters were the means whereby she informed her father and brothers of her misery and persuaded them to take action, and in the process they tell us about her expectations of respect and companionship in marriage. The letters of both sisters show them to be women with a vigorous sense of their own dignity and offer insights into the hopes and disappointments, joys and vexations of fifteenth-century women. The letters also introduce theenvironment and the activities of daily castle life, and offer an intimate picture of family life in the fifteenth century.JOHN M. KLASSEN is Professor of History at Trinity Western University, Canada. He was assisted in the translations by EVA DOLEZALOVA, Historical Institue, Prague, and LYNN SZABO, Trinity Western University.

The Paston letters viewed in the context of medieval women's writing and medieval letter writing.

Studienarbeit aus dem Jahr 2004 im Fachbereich Geschichte Europa - and. Lander - Mittelalter, Fruhe Neuzeit, Note: 2,3, Johannes Gutenberg-Universitat Mainz, Veranstaltung: Proseminar Der jagiellonische Block," 26 Quellen im Literaturverzeichnis, Sprache: Deutsch, Abstract: Welche Arten von Dienst gibt es? Wie ist das Verhaltnis zwischen Dienenden und Herrschenden? Mit diesen Fragen soll sich die vorliegende Arbeit beschaftigen. Dazu wird zunachst auf einige Quellen eingegangen, die kurz vorgestellt und teilweise in ihren historischen Zusammenhang eingebettet werden. Neben einem Briefwechsel einer bohmischen Hochadligen und eine Autobiographie eines Knappen im Dienst bohmischer Kleinadliger sehen wir einen kleinen Knigge des Betragens bei Hofe, wir kommen zum Hochmeister des Deutschen Ordens nach Preussen, nach Burgund und an den ungarischen Konigshof."

Women in Medieval Europe explores the key areas of female experience in the later medieval period, from peasant women to Queens. It considers the women of the later Middle Ages in the context of their social relationships during a time of changing opportunities and activities, so that by 1500 the world of work was becoming increasingly restricted to women. The chapters are arranged thematically to show the varied roles and lives of women in and out of the home, covering topics such as marriage, religion, family and work. For the second edition a new chapter draws together recent work on Jewish and Muslim women, as well as those from other ethnic groups, showing the wide ranging experiences of women from different backgrounds. Particular attention is paid to women at work in the towns, and specifically urban topics such as trade, crafts, healthcare and prostitution. The latest research on women, gender and masculinity has also been incorporated, along with updated further reading recommendations. This fully revised new edition is a comprehensive yet accessible introduction to the topic, perfect for all those studying women in Europe in the later Middle Ages.