This year’s MGH Autumn Academy provided an introduction to the complexity of textual transmission and the editorial challenges (both analogue and digital) involved in working with early Medieval legal texts. The focus lay on sources that are currently being prepared for new editions by Academy projects in which the MGH is involved as a cooperation partner. In the evaluation feedback, the participants particularly praised the excellent presentation of the sources and projects. The evening lecture by professor Karl Ubl (Cologne) provided an exemplary presentation of the particular aspects to be considered when working with early Medieval texts, as illustrated in the prologue to the Lex Salica. Besides the intensive work sessions at the MGH institute, the participants had the opportunity to study the source material in original early medieval legal text manuscripts in the manuscript collection of the Bayerische Staatsbibliothek: our thanks go out to Dr Wolfgang Valentin Ikas of the Abteilung Handschriften und Alte Drucke for making this possible.
Summarising what he or she had taken from this year‘s Autumn Academy, one participant wrote: "Lots of insights into early Medieval legal texts and their specific characteristics, and also into modern edition techniques“ ("Viele Einblicke in frühmittelalterliche Rechtstexte und deren quellenspezifische Eigenheiten sowie hilfreiche Einblicke in moderne Editionstechnik“). The international group of participants from Belgium, Germany, Holland, and Austria unanimously agreed in their positive evaluation of the course, expressing the opinion that their own research would profit greatly from what they had learnt. Participants and instructors alike also evaluated the format of the MGH Autumn Academy positively, emphasising the importance of teaching fundamental knowledge of source edition and transmission. To cite one evaluation: „In sum, the MGH Autumn Academy was a unique experience that I wouldn’t have wanted to miss“ ("Insgesamt stellte die MGH-Herbstakademie eine einmalige Erfahrung dar, die ich keinesfalls missen möchte").
Many thanks to all who contributed to making the Autumn Academy a big success!
