Parohia medievală a orașului Sibiu în istoriografia secolelor XVIII-XIX
The Medieval Parish of Sibiu: Historiographical Perspectives (18th and 19th Centuries)

Summary/Abstract: Within the German-language historiography of Transylvania, the parish of Sibiu stands out as a subject that, compared to other communities, is supported by a comparatively extensive and early body of literature. This can be attributed to the ecclesiastical significance of the city, which served as the seat of both the Provostry and the Chapter. This article aims to examine the earliest historiographical approaches regarding the Sibiu parish (18th–19th centuries) by pursuing three main objectives: to establish the parish’s place within historians’ scholarly interests, identifying the perspectives from which the subject was approached, and to assess how the pre-Reformation period was treated, as well as the motives underlying interest in the parish’s medieval past. The research also relates to broader themes such as the development of a distinct academic field focused on parishes (parish studies) and how medieval realities were reinterpreted in later centuries (medievalism). Although the relevant works published in the 18th–19th centuries have been drawn upon in later research, they have rarely been examined within the intellectual context of their own time. The conclusions emphasise the close connection between the works analysed and the stages in the evolution of parish studies observable in other historiographical traditions.

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