Press release from december 5, 2025:
Seats of power in the Middle Ages were far more than mere representative backdrops: They were political command centers, economic hubs, and places of cultural exchange. A book presented during the interdisciplinary symposium in Ingelheim (November 19–21) is dedicated to these central sites of power and offers new perspectives on their roles from Late Antiquity to the High Middle Ages. The publication, released by the Leibniz Center for Archaeology (LEIZA) as volume 7 of the “LEIZA-Publications” series, is titled “Frankish Seats of Power and the North. Centres Between Diplomacy and Confrontation, Transfer of Knowledge and Economy.” It gathers 22 English-language contributions based on an international conference held in Aachen in 2022. Holger Grewe, Ramona Kaiser, and Matylda Gierszewska-Noszczyńska, from the Research Center Kaiserpfalz, contributed articles to the volume, which was co-edited with Lutz Grunwald and Oliver Grimm.
The publication examines the central seats of power of the Carolingians, such as Aachen, Ingelheim, Nijmegen, and Frankfurt am Main, which symbolize the Frankish Empire. It also builds a to sites like Haithabu (Hedeby) near Schleswig. This prominent trading center in Northern Europe was connected to numerous cities such as Dorestad (Friesland), Cologne, Trier, and Mainz. People, ideas, and goods circulated within these networks—making seats of power the foundational pillars of medieval order.
Archaeological Discoveries in Scandinavia
Particularly exciting are the findings from recent large-scale excavations of seats of power with wooden architecture in Scandinavia. New insights from Lejre and Tissø (Denmark), Uppåkra and Uppsala (Sweden), as well as Kaupang and Borg (Norway), are enabling, for the first time, a comprehensive connection between Northern and Central European research.
The 22 contributions in the volume cover the period from Late Antiquity (4th/5th century) to the High Middle Ages (10th–12th century). They provide new and, at times, surprising results that enrich the discussion about medieval centers of power and their functions. At the same time, the book broadens the horizon of palatial research, which has been conducted for decades but has so far paid little attention to Northern Europe. With its interdisciplinary approach, the book combines historical, archaeological, and cultural studies perspectives, emphasizing how seats of power, as places of exchange, innovation, and control, shaped the development of Europe.
The volume “Frankish Seats of Power and the North. Centres Between Diplomacy and Confrontation, Transfer of Knowledge and Economy” is available as open access for free download (PDF format) on the propylaeum-website:
Matylda Gierszewska-Noszczyńska, Oliver Grimm, Lutz Grunwald (Eds.)
Frankish Seats of Power and the North.
Centres Between Diplomacy and Confrontation, Transfer of Knowledge and Economy
LEIZA Publications, Volume 7
440 pages, 208 illustrations
ISBN 978-3-88467-375-1 (Hardcover), €99