Uploaded June 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Healing the Body, Strengthening the Soul: Care and Community in Medieval German Convents (The 2026 Sylvia Naish Lecture)
Speakers: Rebecca Schleuss (Somerville College, University of Oxford); Moderation: Anne Simon (Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies, University of London)
14 May 2026
Rebecca Schleuss’s topic for the 2026 Sylvia Naish Lecture is the intriguing subject of healthcare in convents during the Middle Ages. How was the impaired body engaged with? What provision existed for healthcare, what treatments were available, and by whom were they administered? Medical knowledge and healthcare in medieval religious institutions across the German-speaking areas has so far received little attention, yet offers valuable insights into medieval perceptions of the body, community, faith, and norm. Exploring medieval female religious healthcare showcases how adaptable, caring, and diverse medieval communities were, and how much is yet to be discovered about medieval peoples and their ways.
Rebecca Schleuss is a doctoral student at the University of Oxford.
Healing the Body, Strengthening the Soul: Care and Community in Medieval German Convents (The 2026 Sylvia Naish Lecture)
Speakers: Rebecca Schleuss (Somerville College, University of Oxford); Moderation: Anne Simon (Institute of Languages, Cultures and Societies, University of London)
14 May 2026
Rebecca Schleuss’s topic for the 2026 Sylvia Naish Lecture is the intriguing subject of healthcare in convents during the Middle Ages. How was the impaired body engaged with? What provision existed for healthcare, what treatments were available, and by whom were they administered? Medical knowledge and healthcare in medieval religious institutions across the German-speaking areas has so far received little attention, yet offers valuable insights into medieval perceptions of the body, community, faith, and norm. Exploring medieval female religious healthcare showcases how adaptable, caring, and diverse medieval communities were, and how much is yet to be discovered about medieval peoples and their ways.
Rebecca Schleuss is a doctoral student at the University of Oxford.
