Georges Duby facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Georges Duby
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Georges Duby in 1980
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| Born | 7 October 1919 |
| Died | 3 December 1996 (aged 77) |
| Nationality | French |
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| Scientific career | |
| Fields | Social and economic history of the Middle Ages |
Georges Duby (born October 7, 1919 – died December 3, 1996) was a very important French historian. He was especially good at studying the social and economic history of the Middle Ages. This means he looked at how people lived, worked, and organized their societies during that time.
Duby was born in Paris. His family came from different parts of France. He first studied how geography affects history. Later, he focused completely on history. He earned his first degree in Lyon in 1942. Then, he finished his advanced studies at the Sorbonne in 1952.
He taught at different universities, including Besançon and Aix-en-Provence. In 1970, he became a professor at the famous Collège de France. He taught there until he retired in 1991. In 1987, he was chosen to be a member of the Académie française, a very respected group of French scholars.
Contents
Georges Duby's Big Ideas
Georges Duby wrote many books and articles. He wrote for both other historians and for the general public. His first major book, published in 1952, was called La société aux XIe et XIIe siècles dans la région mâconnaise. This translates to Society in the 11th and 12th centuries in the Mâconnais region.
This book changed how people studied medieval society. Duby looked closely at old documents from a monastery called Cluny Abbey and other places. He studied the complex ways people and groups interacted in the Mâconnais region. He showed how society changed a lot around the year 1000.
The Shift in Medieval Society
Duby believed that around the early 11th century, the old ways of keeping order started to disappear. Before, kings' courts helped keep justice. But then, a new system called feudalism grew stronger. In this new system, powerful knights took control. They used their strength to rule over peasant communities.
This change led to a new, less centralized society. Powerful lords and their families became very important. Duby thought this new setup helped explain later events. These included the Peace of God movement, the Gregorian reform movement in the church, and the Crusades.
The Crusades and Young Knights
Duby had a famous idea about why so many people joined the Crusades. He thought that many young knights, called iuvenes, had little chance to become powerful lords at home. They wanted to find wealth and fame by traveling to the Middle East and fighting there.
However, other historians have disagreed with this idea. Scholars like Jonathan Riley-Smith argued that there wasn't a big shortage of land in Europe. They also said that knights often lost money on Crusades. These scholars believed that religious feelings were the main reason people joined. Still, Duby's theory had a lasting impact on how people thought about the Crusades.
Studying Local History
Duby's detailed way of studying a local area became a model for other historians. He used old documents and understood how daily life was shaped by society, nature, and the economy. For decades, French students followed his method. They studied their own parts of medieval Europe. They wanted to see if their findings matched Duby's ideas about how European society changed around the year 1000.
Georges Duby was also connected to a group of historians called the Annales School. Even though he wasn't a formal student of theirs, he was a great example of their ideas. He always stressed that history should focus on people and their daily lives.
Understanding How People Thought
Duby was a leader in a field called the "history of mentalities." This is about studying not just what people did, but also their beliefs, values, and how they saw the world.
In books like The Three Orders: Feudal Society Imagined and The Age of Cathedrals, Duby showed how ideals and real life were connected. He also wrote about William Marshal, a famous knight. Duby explained Marshal's life within the context of feudal loyalty, honor, and the knightly way of thinking.
Duby also thought about how people in his own time viewed the past. In his 1973 book Le Dimanche de Bouvines, he didn't just describe the 1214 battle of Bouvines. Instead, he looked at how the battle was remembered over time. He explored how its memory helped shape French ideas about their medieval past. This book is a classic example of the Annales School's approach. It focuses on how ideas and perceptions change over long periods, rather than just on famous people or events.
Duby often wrote for newspapers and magazines. He was also a regular guest on radio and TV shows. He helped people learn about history and supported the arts and social sciences in France. He even helped lead a French TV network focused on educational programs.
His last book, L'histoire continue (History Continues), was published in 1991. In it, Duby wrote about his own journey as a historian. He emphasized that historians are important public figures. They can make the past interesting and relevant for people today. He believed that a main goal of historical writing was to entertain.
Awards and Recognition
Georges Duby received many honors and awards for his work.
Honors
- Commandeur of the Legion of Honour
- Grand officier of the National Order of Merit
- Commandeur of the Ordre des Palmes Académiques
- Commandeur of the Ordre des Arts et des Lettres
Awards
- Grand prix Gobert (1977)
- Prix des Ambassadeurs (France, 1973)
Memberships
He was a member of many important academic groups around the world, including:
- Académie Française
- British Academy
- Medieval Academy of America
- Royal Academy of Science, Letters and Fine Arts of Belgium
- American Philosophical Society
Honorary Degrees
He also received honorary degrees from many universities, such as:
- University of Cambridge
- University of Oxford
- Harvard University
- Université catholique de Louvain
See also
In Spanish: Georges Duby para niños
