Versammeln, besprechen, beschließen

Different forms of diets, councils and assemblies shaped the political landscape of late medieval and early modern Europe, and especially the Holy Roman Empire. Princes and clerics, the representatives of towns and of monasteries came together in various constellations to discuss problems, adopt decisions and perform rituals. It has been repeatedly suggested that it might be fruitful to compare these different forms of assemblies. The actual attempts to do so, however, often remain unsatisfactory even to their own authors. What is still required is a systematic comparison in the hope of creating a typology of assemblies. At a summer school held in Lübeck in 2019, some initial ideas were put forward on how to undertake such an staggering endeavor. A catalogue of criteria for comparing different forms of assemblies would need to include how often they were convened, who their participants were (both by number and status), what issues were discussed (their content and intended scope), what procedures were obtained for discussion and decision-making, how they interrelated with other types of assemblies, what the aim of the meeting was and how it was attained. These criteria can also help one to grasp how one type of assembly changed over time. An initial comparison led to the conclusion that the different forms of meetings may have assembled a different set of participants and discussed different issues, yet they employed strikingly similar procedures and underwent a similar process of institutionalization.