Past Perfect‪!‬ Kinde_Anna

In this interview Éloïse Adde, Assistant Professor at Central European University's Medieval Studies Department, speaks on the topic of the medieval nation. Using examples from Luxemburg Bohemia and the duchy of Brabant, she demonstrates the processes that led to the creation of pre-modern political nationhood.

What is the difference between altar and altarpiece? How were the altarpieces produced and used in medieval churches? How did medieval people see and understand them? In this interview, Chris Mielke talks with Emese Sarkadi Nagy, an art historian from the Christian Museum in Esztergom, Hungary, about the manufacturing and symbolism of Transylvanian altarpieces and their place in medieval society. The researcher speaks about the meaning of Transylvanian altarpieces for the local communities, the people who stood behind their manufacturing, and the unusual iconography on the altarpieces. The discussion reveals that these objects of Christian art can show the connections between art and local saints venerations, the economic situation of the community, and the transition of styles and schools. Emese Sarkadi Nagy also speaks about her work and recent projects in Christian Museum and how its catalogs and collections can help us understand medieval Christian culture. Past Perfect! is CEU Medieval Radio’s show on medieval and early modern history and culture, where Christopher Mielke casually discusses with his guests various issues from the crusades to archeo-zoology to medieval urine sampling. The discussions are made with the aim to popularize medieval and early modern studies with the help of experts such as early musicians, historians, philologists and archeologists.This episode was first recorded and broadcast in 2013. 

In this episode of Past Perfect, Chris Mielke is joined by Ádám Nádasdy, a professor of English linguistics and a poet who is famous for translation Sheakspear`s plays into Hungarian. The professor starts the conversation with the Anglo-Norman world, the development of English in the Middle Ages, and the interactions between English and French. You will learn how the difference between „swine” and „pork” appeared, which strange French expressions still exist in English, and when did British start pronounce vowels as it is now. Ádám Nádasdy also speaks about the changes in English between Chaucer to Shakespeare: is it true that Elizabeth I would instead prefer American English over the modern British one?The second part of the interview tells about the current project of the professor, the translation of Dante’s „Divine Comedy” into Hungarian. Ádám Nádasdy explains „Science Fiction” of Dante`s Heaven and the mistakes of cosmology, which were made both by Dante and Christopher Columbus. In the end, the professor shares his thoughts on the spirit of the Middle Ages, whether they were gloomy and “gothic,” or did the medieval people enjoy life even more than we do it nowadays. Past Perfect! is CEU Medieval Radio’s show on medieval and early modern history and culture, where various issues from the crusades to archeo-zoology to medieval urine sampling are discussed. The discussions are made with the aim to popularize medieval and early modern studies with the help of experts such as early musicians, historians, philologists and archeologists.This episode was recorded in 2013. 

In this episode, Chris Mielke has an exciting conversation about medieval forests and the woodcutting economy with the researcher Péter Szabó. The doctor explains how to study medieval landscapes, shows the difference between forests and woodlands, and talks about woodcutting's technologies and economic benefits in the Middle Ages and Early Modern times. He also tells where to find medieval forests in Central Europe and how to compare the source descriptions with the landscapes that we see now. Péter Szabó's research is a good example of interdisciplinarity, which involves specialists from various fields and contributes to substantial European environmental projects. During the episode, you will also discover whether the movies about Robin Hood show the proper medieval forests, what to do with a medieval tree for prolonging its life, and why the small forests are more interesting for historians than the big ones. Past Perfect! is CEU Medieval Radio’s show on medieval and early modern history and culture, where Christopher Mielke casually discusses with his guests various issues from the crusades to archeo-zoology to medieval urine sampling. The discussions are made with the aim to popularize medieval and early modern studies with the help of experts such as early musicians, historians, philologists and archeologists.This episode was first recorded and broadcast in 2013.

Why was it important for the regent of the Netherlands to be unmarried? What is the connection between a Hungarian Queen and Luther? Why did Mary of Austria sign herself as Mary of Hungary? And why is it possible to create an exhibition about these queens full of empty glass boxes? In this interview, Chris Mielke speaks with Orsolya Réthelyi, a specialist in Early Modern Queenship, and explores unexpected facts from the lives of queens in Hungary and the Netherlands. The central person of the discussion is Mary of Austria, a Hungarian Queen, who was also a regent of Law Countries and an important figure in Habsburg politics. Orsolya Réthelyi tells how the queen dealt with wars, lack of money, and Reformation, and which unique personal documents can be found about her. Then, the discussion reveals the general patterns of queenship in the sixteenth century and the cultural transformations, which were the consequences of queens moving from one country to another. In addition, the professor reveals her recent research of songs about dying queens and how they show the personalities of these famous women and the acceptance of queens among subjects. Past Perfect! is CEU Medieval Radio’s show on medieval and early modern history and culture, where Christopher Mielke casually discusses with his guests various issues from the crusades to archeo-zoology to medieval urine sampling. The discussions are made with the aim to popularize medieval and early modern studies with the help of experts such as early musicians, historians, philologists and archeologists.This episode was first recorded and broadcast in 2012.  

What do Faust and John Dee, Queen Elizabeth I's official magician, have in common? How to speak the language of angels and use magic crystals? What did Renaissance occultism look like, and how did it affect the modern understanding of magic? Christopher Melke discusses all these issues with György Szőnyi, a specialist in Renaissance and modern literature, whose academic interests include occultism and cultural transfers.Professor Szőnyi talks about occult practices in the Renaissance, the connection between magic and clergy, and how Renaissance occultism was used by modern writers such as Umberto Eco. Also, he describes various challenges of finding and interpreting sources, and the impact of digitalization, copyright policies, and postmodern reality on the historian's work.  Past Perfect! is CEU Medieval Radio’s show on medieval and early modern history and culture, where Christopher Mielke casually discusses with his guests various issues from the crusades to archeo-zoology to medieval urine sampling. The discussions are made with the aim to popularize medieval and early modern studies with the help of experts such as early musicians, historians, philologists and archeologists.This episode was first recorded and broadcast in 2012.