curriculum vitae
Born in Schwiebus (Mark Brandenburg), she studied jurisprudence
in Freiburg/Brsg. and in Frankfurt/Main, graduated with an assessor’s
degree, confered a doctor’s degree of German history of law with
Adalbert Erler. Then assistant at the university of Mainz, lawyer
and free-lance scientific collaborator in the field of German history
of law (13th to 15th century). Numerous publications
about „Kaiserrecht“ (imperial law), „Sachsenspiegel“ (Saxonian law)
and the „Rolandfiguren“ (Roland statues). Scientific advice and
development of digital forms pertaining the edition of these books
of law.
Saxonian Law
New Ways in realising the Edition of Manuscripts
pertaining to Medieval Law
A team of scolars is presently compiling the digital edition of
the illustrated manuscript of the „Sachsenspiegel“ in cooperation
with the publisher of the „Deutsche Rechtswörterbuch“.
The „Sachsenspiegel, written by Eike von Repgow in the
years between 1224 und 1235 as a private treatise, is one of the
oldest known legal books in the German language. It contains the
Saxonian „Landrecht“ (civil, criminal and adjective law) as well
as the „Lehnrecht.“ Approximetely 460 manuscripts and fragments
have survived, four of these provide illustrations explaining the
text.
One of these, the Manuscript of the Library of the Heidelberg
University, is distinguished by the precision of its interpretation
of text and illustration. This manuscript is widely regarded as
the oldest (dating from the beginning of the fourteenth century)
and presumably has ist origin in Thüringen.
The digital edition contains the complete facsimile
(a total of 60 pages). From the start menue the user can choose
items from a preview pager for detailed viewing. By clicking a picture
with the mouse one can open the picture-text analysis menue. The
relationship of illustration and text is indicated in color. The
transcription of the text together with its translation is also
shown.
A further mouse click brings up a detailed analysis
of the illustration: the translation of the text is displayed in
a window on the upper right hand side of the screen: abbreviations
shown in italics are explained. The translation tries to follow
the rhythm of the original text as closely as possible. Technical
terms (like „Gedinge“ and „Gewere“) as marked in red remain untranslated.
By moving the cursor over the marked text one gets a pop-up window
giving further explanations on the item in terms of definitons of
the „Deutsche Rechtswörterbuch“. The illustrations are described
comprehensively in a separate window on the left hand side.
On the evaluation level one finds a detailed analysis of
each illustration. This is classified in different categories: the
most important category is the one describing the hand gestures,
as these contain legal statements. A digital notebook is also available
for remarks and observations by the user. Any item of this
digital edition of the „Sachsenspiegel“ can be printed conveniently
on a hardcopy printer.
The „general information“ level provides a description
to the illustrated manuscripts of the „Sachsenspiegel“ and
the „Heidelberger Bilderhandschrift“ including a brief summary of
the origins and effects of the „Sachsenspiegel“. A list of the complete
content of the laws of the „Sachsenspiegel“ as well as a word index
to the „Heidelberger Handschrift“ is included as well. This information
is also available in the booklet coming with the CD-ROM. The edition
is rounded off by a multimedial presentation illustrating the manufacturing
of the manuscripts as well as a map of places of discovery of the
„Sachsenspiegel“. |