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Linie 4: "The wars rose up against Wroclaw" - How war was told in the 15th century



(Photo: Ole Bunte)

Noble knights in gleaming armour, mighty castles and heroes crossing swords in great battles. This is how modern stories, films, books and video games portray medieval wars. And if you read medieval historiography, you will find many of these narratives at first glance. But can we trust them? What do medieval texts tell us about war - and what do they not?

In his lecture "The wars rose up against Wroclaw" - How war was told in the 15th century", which is part of the public lecture series Linie 4 - Neues aus der sozialwissenschaftlichen und historischen Forschung, organised by the BGHS in cooperation with the VHS Bielefeld, Ole Bunte explores the question of how medieval historians talk about war and what these narratives can tell us about medieval people's ideas about war. To this end, he takes a look at the war reports of Peter Eschenloer, who was the town clerk of the Silesian metropolis of Breslau from the 1450s onwards. His account has everything a good narrative needs: an evil king, foolhardy mercenaries, betrayal after betrayal and a final decisive battle at the gates of Wroclaw. What we can learn from these narratives about war in the Middle Ages (and what we cannot) and according to which criteria medieval authors construct their war stories will be examined in this lecture.

Ole Bunte has been working on his doctorate at the BGHS since 2023 on the topic "Telling about war. Cultural history of war in the 15th century using the example of conflicts in East Central Europe". He studied history at Bielefeld University and gained experience as a museum education assistant and tour guide at various museums, including the Oerlinghausen Archaeological Open-Air Museum.

The lecture, which is the last in this year's Linie 4, will take place (in German) on Wednesday, 17 June 2026 at 6.15 pm in room 240 at the vhs Bielefeld, Ravensberger Park 1.