The development of historical geographical information systems (HGIS) and other methods from the digital humanities have revolutionised historical research on cultural landscapes. One of today’s major challenges, however, concerns the concepts and tools to be deployed for mapping processes of transformation—that is, interpreting and imagining the relational complexity of urban and rural landscapes, both in space and in time, at micro- and macro-scale. The opening up of increasingly divers...

Although largely overlooked in studies of architectural history, church architecture in a Gothic idiom outlived its 19th century momentum to persist worldwide throughout the 20th century and into the new millennium.

Global Gothic presents a first systematic worldwide understanding of "Gothic" in contemporary architecture, both as a distinct variation and as a competitor to recognized modern styles. The book’s chapters critically discuss Gothic’s various manifestations over the past centur...

Drawing on original research covering different periods and spaces, this book sets out to appreciate the specific place of images in the history of evangelisation in the long modern period. How can we reconceptualise the functions of the visual mediation of the gospel message, both in terms of the production and reception of this message and in terms of its effective mediators, artists, religious, and cultural ambassadors? The contributions in this book offer multiple geographical and histori...

Many of the most significant studies devoted to Ambrogio Spinola have focused on one particular aspect of his life: his successful military career. This volume, through its interdisciplinary and cultural approach, breaks open this all too narrow perspective and expands our understanding of Spinola and his world. As a great military strategist and Catholic knight, entrepreneur in the international finance market, courtier and diplomat, Spinola was certainly a Genoese, but he was also a member ...

The topic of social assistance for migrant newcomers often sparks heated public debate and remains a prominent concern on the policy agenda. Society – including the target groups of welfare institutions – has experienced a growing level of diversity. This reality gives rise to new demands and changing profiles of individuals who benefit from welfare services. Welfare institutions, which are responsible for providing social assistance, play a crucial role in granting access to social benef...

When consulting key works on urban studies, the absence of Central and Eastern European cities is striking. Cities such as Vienna, Budapest, Prague, and Trieste, where such notable figures as Freud, Ferenczi, Kafka, and Joyce lived and worked, are rarely studied in a translocal framework, as if Central and Eastern Europe were still a blind spot of European modernity. This volume expands the scope of literary urban studies by focusing on Budapest and Hungarian small towns, offering in-depth an...

The saxophone is a globally popular instrument, often closely associated with renowned male players such as Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, or more recently, Kenny G. Less well known, however, is the historical presence of female saxophonists in the nineteenth century, shortly after the instrument’s invention. Elise Hall (1853–1924), a prominent wealthy socialite in Boston at the turn of the twentieth century, defied social norms by mastering the saxophone, an unconventional instrument for...

What does it mean to live under occupation? How does it shape the culture and identities of European nations? How does it affect the way we write and read literature? These are fundamental questions that set the stage for an in-depth exploration. Focusing on the literary works of writers from various European countries that were occupied by Nazi Germany, the Soviet Union or the Allies during and after World War II, the contributions in this edited volume seek to unravel the complex interplay ...

In Guatemala, the 36-year armed conflict from 1960 to 1996 claimed 200,000 lives, over two per cent of the population, and displaced a million more. In the 1970s and the 1980s the widespread and violent repression of social movements fighting for justice and human rights reached unimaginable proportions, involving assassinations, disappearances, and exile. Even parts of the Church, traditionally considered an ally of the powerful and the wealthy, were not spared this fate.

Missionaries and Re...

No other Neoplatonic text has sparked as much debate as Ennead V. 7 [18] of Plotinus, ‘On the question of whether there are also Forms of individuals’. In this text, Plotinus is believed to postulate the existence of Forms of individuals alongside the traditional Platonic Forms of genera and species. If so, Plotinus stands as the sole figure in Platonism to advocate this problematic theory. Regrettably, most research on V. 7 [18] has focused solely on the Forms of individuals, overlooking...