Writings (1416-1432): The Struggle for the Self-Determination of Central Europe
By Pawel Wlodkowic
Translated by Charles C. Kraszewski
Angelicum University Press
ISBN: 978-83-67065-44-3
The writings of Pawel Wlodkowic, a 15th-century Polish canon lawyer, are translated in this book. It offers a fascinating view from of Poland of their rivalry with the Teutonic Order, their relations with pagan peoples, and Wlodkowic’s opinions on human rights.
Excerpt:
The book takes the reader to a remote past: the Council of Constance (1414-1418), or the most significant religious and intellectual gathering in fifteenth-century Europe. The Council’s voting members were cardinals, bishops, and other members of the Catholic clergy representing four nations: English, French, Italian, and German (the Spanish were added later, during the Council’s deliberations). The Poles and Czechs were counted as part of the German delegation: a medieval instance of “cancel culture” that also had a bearing on the issues which the Polish delegation raised at the Council: the rights of nations, international law as perceived by fifteenth-century scholars, and attitudes toward the pagan states wishing to love in peace with Christians.
Who is this book for?
Running over 600 pages, this book includes eight writings by Wlodkowic. It will be a useful primary source for those interested in Polish-German relations, the Teutonic Knights, and Catholic views towards non-Christians. The criticisms of the Teutonic Order are quite interesting!
The Translator
Charles C. Kraszewski is a prolific scholar and translator of Polish history and literature.
You can learn more about this book from the publisher’s website.
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