WOMEN’S MONASTERIES IN MEDIEVAL GERMANY

Year 2023, , 25 - 32, 28.12.2023

Banu Çetin Ünal

https://doi.org/10.56387/ahbvedebiyat.1265135

Abstract

A look at the social structure of Medieval Europe makes it clear that there was a patriarchal culture then. In this male-dominated culture, women struggled to survive in some way. At this point, women’s monasteries became a reliable shelter for them. One of the regions with the highest concentration of women’s monasteries is Germany. In Medieval Germany, a lot of monasteries were established for women. It was even possible to see that more monasteries for women were built in some regions than the ones for men. These monasteries, which were not only a refuge but also an educational institution for women, provided opportunities for women to receive education in different fields. Especially monasteries such as Gandersheim, Quedlinburg, Essen, and Helfta stand out among German women’s monasteries. Additionally, important figures who would later make a name for themselves emerged from these women’s monasteries in later periods. These women set an example for many more women by achieving successful works. In fact, although women generally lived in a male-dominated culture, some women were able to come to the forefront as a writer, a poet, or a prioress, achieving prominence in leadership roles. Despite all the oppression and restrictions, these women showed everyone that women could as well be successful. In our work, we will discuss the characteristics of German monasteries that served both as a refuge and an educational centre as well as the achievements of the women who were trained in these monasteries.

Keywords

Medieval Germany, Woman, Monastery, Abbess.

ORTA ÇAĞ ALMANYASI’NDA KADIN MANASTIRLARI

Abstract

Orta Çağ Avrupası’nda genel olarak baktığımızda erkek egemen bir kültürün var olduğu görülmektedir. Bu erkek egemen kültürde kadınlar ikincil bir konumda olmuşlar ve bir şekilde ayakta kalabilmek için çabalamışlardır. Bu noktada kadın manastırları onlar için güvenilir bir sığınak olmuştur. Kadın manastırlarının en yoğun olduğu bölgelerden birisi de Almanya’dır. Orta Çağ Almanyası’nda birçok kadın manastırı kurulmuş, öyle ki bazı bölgelerde erkekler için kurulan manastırlardan daha fazla kadın manastırları kurulduğu söylenebilir. Bu kadın manastırlarında kadınlar farklı alanlarda eğitim alma olanağına sahip olmuşlardır. Aslında bu manastırlar kadınlar için sadece bir sığınak değil aynı zamanda bir eğitim kurumuydu. Alman kadın manastırları arasında Gandersheim, Quedlinburg, Essen ve Helfta gibi manastırlar özellikle dikkat çekmektedir. Ayrıca bu kadın manastırlarında daha sonraki dönemlerde adlarından söz ettirecek önemli isimler de yetişmiştir. Bu kadınlar başarılı çalışmalara imza atarak birçok kadına örnek olmuşlardır. Aslında onlar erkek egemen kültürde var olabilmeyi başarmış kadınlardı. Onlar kadının ikincil konumda olduğu bir dönemde bir yazar, bir şair ya da bir baş rahibe olarak yöneticilik sıfatıyla ön plana çıkmayı başarabilmiş önemli isimlerdir. Bu kadınlar tüm baskı ve kısıtlamalara rağmen kadınların başarılı olabileceklerini herkese göstermişlerdir. Çalışmamızda hem bir sığınak olarak hem de eğitim merkezi olarak hizmet eden Alman manastırlarının özellikleri ve bu manastırlarda yetişen kadınların başarılarından bahsedeceğiz.

Keywords

Orta Çağ Almanyası, Kadın, Manastır, Baş rahibe

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