De strijd om de vete in het Heilige Roomse Rijk: Recent onderzoek en nieuwe interpretaties

Feuding has for a long time been a subject of considerable interest to historians and social scientists. Recent years have seen major developments in the field, especially in Germany. An indication of the importance of this area of study is not only the increasing number of publications and the variety of approaches, but also the fierce historiographical and ideological debate surrounding it. The present article reviews these developments. It analyses recent attempts to refute the nearly canonical interpretation of Otto Brunner, the ensuing debate, and the various explanations which have arisen. The survey ends with an examination of the latest direction in research on the feud, and with a sketch of a new explanatory framework by the author.