Final Report Summary - TRANSTEC (Transnational networking, knowledge circulation and technological change in early modern East Central Europe. The case of Hutterite artisans (c.1560-1720))
Dr. Balint’s research objective was the construction of an original database containing information on the Moravian, Hungarian and Transylvanian Anabaptists. The data were collected from the Hutterite documents (commonly called Chronicles) and other documents pertaining to the Hutterite life in the sixteenth century. This database was used not only to identify individuals, but also to show links between technical dissemination/change and circulation. This latter was identified as research objective #2. The most important step for this project were the identification and analysis of the dissemination patterns (research objective #3).
The training objectives have been also reached: the researcher achieved the necessary skills that allowed her to develop this project. First, the researcher’s interdisciplinary experience was broadened and reinforced. The work performed, in terms of research and publications, shifted her focus from predominantly local social history approach to transnational and dynamic aspects of the history of religious minorities and history of technology. As a second training objective, her international experience of research and academic work was broadened. Dr. Balint’s third training objective to work with Italian materials, and to perfect her skills of reading Italian manuscripts of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, has been fully achieved.
The project had the objective of combining research on textual sources, and on material sources respectively. The combination of the two strands lead to a very unique approach which is the innovative combination of ‘two histories, that of religion and that of high-end material culture’. With its focus on issues like diaspora, religious minority, religious tolerance, and material and consumer culture, it seems to speak remarkably well to contemporary concerns.
All these main objectives, the work performed since the beginning of the project, as well as dr. Balint’s results have strengthened her competence in broader academic fields and thus enhance her opportunities to build a European career.
The training objectives have been also reached: the researcher achieved the necessary skills that allowed her to develop this project. First, the researcher’s interdisciplinary experience was broadened and reinforced. The work performed, in terms of research and publications, shifted her focus from predominantly local social history approach to transnational and dynamic aspects of the history of religious minorities and history of technology. As a second training objective, her international experience of research and academic work was broadened. Dr. Balint’s third training objective to work with Italian materials, and to perfect her skills of reading Italian manuscripts of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, has been fully achieved.
The project had the objective of combining research on textual sources, and on material sources respectively. The combination of the two strands lead to a very unique approach which is the innovative combination of ‘two histories, that of religion and that of high-end material culture’. With its focus on issues like diaspora, religious minority, religious tolerance, and material and consumer culture, it seems to speak remarkably well to contemporary concerns.
All these main objectives, the work performed since the beginning of the project, as well as dr. Balint’s results have strengthened her competence in broader academic fields and thus enhance her opportunities to build a European career.