Robert Fossier was born into Catholicism. His father, a soldier who served in World War I, was angered by the Munich Agreement. His mother, a piano teacher, encouraged an interest in history and fiction. He did his secondary education in Paris, first at the lycée Janson-de-Sailly, then at the lycée Henri-IV, where he prepped for the entrance exam of the École des chartes.
He graduated with a thesis on The economic life of the abbey of Clairvaux, from its beginning to the sixteenth century (1949), and passed the teaching exam (agrégation) in history.
University career
Robert Fossier began his career as an archivist in the historical library of Paris (1949–1953). He then became a teacher at the lycée de Fontainebleau (1953–1955), then at the lycée Carnot in Paris (1955–1957).
In 1957, he became assistant at the Sorbonne, then chargé de cours at Nancy II university from 1961. Ten years later, he became professor at the Université Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne, where he was several times chair of the history department, and then in 1993, professor emeritus.
As one of the spiritual successors of Marc Bloch and the École des Annales (in his work on society and economics rather than religion and culture), Robert Fossier dealt almost exclusively with the rural societies of northwestern Europe, from Charlemagne to the Hundred Years' War.
In 1968, he published his doctoral thesis entitled La Terre et les hommes en Picardie jusqu’à la fin du XIIIe siècle (The Land and People of Picardy to the End of the 13th Century).
In the 1970s, he began to focus his research and publications on the peasantry and feudalism (a term he refuses to use) between the eleventh and thirteenth centuries.
He is the inventor of the concept of encellulement, which expands on Pierre Toubert's concept of incastellamento. According to Robert Fossier, the grouping of the village in the north of the French kingdom was due not only to incastellamento, but rather to lordly initiative in general.
In his latest book, Ces gens du Moyen Age (translated as The Axe and the Oath: Ordinary Life in the Middle Ages), Robert Fossier deemphasises the aspect of medieval society which we are most familiar, the aristocracy, in order to concentrate on that less spoken-of aspect, the people. In his own words of summary, "I am persuaded that medieval man is us".[2]
The works of Robert Fossier have gained considerable fame (including at least 37 translations in North and South America, Japan, Germany, and Great Britain).
Robert Fossier Bibliography (French)
La Terre et les hommes en Picardie jusqu’à la fin du XIIIe siècle, Nauwelerts, 1968.
Histoire de la Picardie, Privat, 1974.
Enfance de l’Europe : Xe–XIIe siècle : aspects économiques et sociaux, PUF, 1982.
Paysans d'Occident (XIe–XIVe siècles), PUF, 1984.
Villages et villageois au Moyen Âge, Éditions Christian, 1995.
L’histoire économique et sociale du Moyen Âge occidental, Brepols, 1999.
Le Travail au Moyen Âge, Hachette, 2000.
Ces gens du Moyen Âge, Fayard, 2007.
Works in English
The Axe and the Oath: Ordinary Life in the Middle Ages (Princeton UP, 2012)
The Cambridge Illustrated History of the Middle Ages, Volume 2 (Cambridge UP, 1997)
robert, fossier, september, 1927, 2012, french, historian, specializing, western, middle, ages, contents, biography, family, education, university, career, historian, middle, ages, bibliography, french, works, english, references, relevant, articlesbiography, . Robert Fossier 4 September 1927 25 May 2012 1 was a French Historian specializing in the Western Middle Ages Contents 1 Biography 1 1 Family and Education 2 University career 3 Historian of the Middle Ages 4 Robert Fossier Bibliography French 5 Works in English 6 References 7 Relevant articlesBiography EditFamily and Education Edit Robert Fossier was born into Catholicism His father a soldier who served in World War I was angered by the Munich Agreement His mother a piano teacher encouraged an interest in history and fiction He did his secondary education in Paris first at the lycee Janson de Sailly then at the lycee Henri IV where he prepped for the entrance exam of the Ecole des chartes He graduated with a thesis on The economic life of the abbey of Clairvaux from its beginning to the sixteenth century 1949 and passed the teaching exam agregation in history University career EditRobert Fossier began his career as an archivist in the historical library of Paris 1949 1953 He then became a teacher at the lycee de Fontainebleau 1953 1955 then at the lycee Carnot in Paris 1955 1957 In 1957 he became assistant at the Sorbonne then charge de cours at Nancy II university from 1961 Ten years later he became professor at the Universite Paris 1 Pantheon Sorbonne where he was several times chair of the history department and then in 1993 professor emeritus In 1971 he received the CNRS Silver Medal He was president of the Societe de l Ecole des chartes from 1990 to 1991 He died on May 25 2012 at Meudon Historian of the Middle Ages EditAs one of the spiritual successors of Marc Bloch and the Ecole des Annales in his work on society and economics rather than religion and culture Robert Fossier dealt almost exclusively with the rural societies of northwestern Europe from Charlemagne to the Hundred Years War In 1968 he published his doctoral thesis entitled La Terre et les hommes en Picardie jusqu a la fin du XIIIe siecle The Land and People of Picardy to the End of the 13th Century In the 1970s he began to focus his research and publications on the peasantry and feudalism a term he refuses to use between the eleventh and thirteenth centuries He is the inventor of the concept of encellulement which expands on Pierre Toubert s concept of incastellamento According to Robert Fossier the grouping of the village in the north of the French kingdom was due not only to incastellamento but rather to lordly initiative in general In his latest book Ces gens du Moyen Age translated as The Axe and the Oath Ordinary Life in the Middle Ages Robert Fossier deemphasises the aspect of medieval society which we are most familiar the aristocracy in order to concentrate on that less spoken of aspect the people In his own words of summary I am persuaded that medieval man is us 2 The works of Robert Fossier have gained considerable fame including at least 37 translations in North and South America Japan Germany and Great Britain Robert Fossier Bibliography French EditLa Terre et les hommes en Picardie jusqu a la fin du XIIIe siecle Nauwelerts 1968 Histoire de la Picardie Privat 1974 Enfance de l Europe Xe XIIe siecle aspects economiques et sociaux PUF 1982 Paysans d Occident XIe XIVe siecles PUF 1984 Villages et villageois au Moyen Age Editions Christian 1995 L histoire economique et sociale du Moyen Age occidental Brepols 1999 Le Travail au Moyen Age Hachette 2000 Ces gens du Moyen Age Fayard 2007 Works in English EditThe Axe and the Oath Ordinary Life in the Middle Ages Princeton UP 2012 The Cambridge Illustrated History of the Middle Ages Volume 2 Cambridge UP 1997 References Edit Nonfiction Emily A Winkler Quest for the Common Man review of The Axe and the Oath Ordinary Life in the Middle Ages Oxonian Review 31 May 2011Relevant articles EditIncastellamento History portal Middle Ages portal Retrieved from https en wikipedia org w index php title Robert Fossier amp oldid 1130369174, wikipedia, wiki, book, books, library,
