The ‘Netzwerk Reichskammergerichtsbarkeit’ recently convened a discussion on the role of textuality in premodern judicial systems, attracting a wide range of participants to its conference. Scholars from various disciplines – including jurists, historians, and archivists – contributed their professional perspectives, creating an interdisciplinary dialogue that is reflected in the conference proceedings. The resulting volume is impressive with its thematic and chronological breadth, despite its clear focus on the premodern era.The introductory chapter by the editors, Josef Bongartz, Alexander Denzler, Carolin Katzer, and Stefan Andreas Stodolkowitz (‘Feder und Recht. Zum Verhältnis von Schrift, Recht und Gericht – eine Annäherung’, 1–31), establishes the conceptual framework for the volume. It provides a comprehensive overview of the interplay between textuality, orality and law in the premodern period. The editors outline central questions that permeate the volume, addressing forms of textuality and their impact on the efficiency and structure of judicial proceedings, the transformations spurred by textual practices, and the utilisation of textuality for diverse purposes, from pursuing individual interests to archiving and preserving written materials. The chapter also explores the relationship between orality and textuality, a field where, as the volume acknowledges, significant research gaps remain.
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DOI: 10.1080/2049677X.2025.2500206
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