Maria Pätzold
PhD candidate (associated)
Medieval-Latin and Neo-Latin Philologies
Research project
"Man behind man – Man and his parts in Rabanus Maurus (De rerum naturis, book 6)"
Consistent with the topic of our graduate college, studies on Rabanus Maurus (ca. 780–865 AD) always also have to deal with heteronomy, as his works are above all compilations – excerpt sets from previous authors or text collections. So it’s about understanding Rabanus’ compilation method – what does he depend on, what does he change or leave out and how and why by this a new, autonomous text is created?
In my investigation I will concentrate on the anthropological book ‘About man and his parts‘ from Rabanus’ encyclopedia De rerum naturis (‘About the nature of things’). It’s main pretext (i.e. its main template) is the encyclopedia Etymologiae from spanish bishop Isidore of Seville (ca. 569–636 AD), as Rabanus copies long passages from it. In this template there are two aspects of the view on man: first the scientific view that Isidore passes on from antiquity (likewise by means of compilation); second Isidore’s etymological view that has to be considered in regard to man and his parts.
Then there is the second important template for Rabanus: the works of the patristic-exegetic commentary tradition, which is about the allegorical interpretation of man and his parts (body parts, organs etc.), i.e. about the proper mystical Christian truth behind. So man behind man is not man anymore, but his parts stand for e.g. Christian virtues or diabolic temptations. Besides many Bible passages that substantiate this mystical-allegorical level of man, Rabanus quotes church fathers and late antique or early medieval Christian auctoritates, particularly Bible commentators.
My thesis entitled ‘Man behind man’ shall thus investigate how Rabanus Maurus combines Isidore of Seville’s antique scientific and etymological view on man with the Christian mystical-allegorical view of the patristic-exegetic sources – and why.
Curriculum Vitae
since 01/2025 research associate in a project on bible editions (Codex Sangallensis 1395 Σ) with Professor Annette Weissenrieder at the Martin-Luther-Universität Halle
01/2023-12/2024 PhD position at the graduate college „The Autonomy of Heteronomous Texts in Antiquity and the Middle Ages“ (FSU Jena)
12/2020–12/2022 research assistant (University of Erfurt, FSU Jena, manuscript centre at the university library Leipzig)
10/2020–03/2022 postgraduate studies Collections-Based History of Knowledge and Culture (University of Erfurt) and Medieval Studies (FSU Jena)
12/2019–09/2020 care services „Puls der Zeit“ Berlin
05/2017–02/2019 evaluation of international university applications (uni-assist e.V. Berlin)
2011–2017 writing (novel, children’s book, short stories, poems) and various activities for making a living
2003–2010 times as undergraduate assistant at the Universities of Leipzig and Trier (Greek Philology, Byzantine studies)
2003–2010 studies in Greek Philology at the University of Leipzig (with German Studies and Musicology), at the University of St. Andrews (Scotland) and the University of Trier (with Papyrology und Latin); magister artium
2001–2003 studies in French Literature in Lorient and Nantes (France); intermediate diploma (DEUG de Lettres Modernes)
1988–2001 school time in Berlin and France; baccalauréat littéraire at Lycée Français de Berlin