Henry Mayr-Harting facts for kids

Henry Mayr-Harting (born 6 April 1936) is a British historian who studies the Middle Ages and the history of the Christian Church. From 1997 to 2003, he held a very important position called Regius Professor of Ecclesiastical History at the University of Oxford. He was also a special member, known as a lay canon, at Christ Church, Oxford, which is both a college and a cathedral.

Early Life and Education

Henry Mayr-Harting was born in Prague, which is now the capital of the Czech Republic, on 6 April 1936. His father, Herbert Mayr-Harting, was a lawyer who worked for Czechoslovakia at the United Nations War Crimes Commission. His mother, Anna Mayr-Harting, was a talented scientist who studied bacteria in Bristol, England. Henry also has a brother, Thomas Mayr-Harting, who is a diplomat for Austria and the European Union.

Henry went to Douai School and then studied at Merton College, Oxford. He earned several degrees there, including a DPhil in 1961, which is a very high-level research degree, like a PhD.

A Career in History

Henry Mayr-Harting began his teaching career in 1960 at the University of Liverpool, where he taught medieval history. Medieval history is the study of the Middle Ages, a period in European history from about 500 AD to 1500 AD.

In 1968, he returned to Oxford. He became a Fellow and Tutor in Medieval History at St Peter's College, Oxford. A "Fellow" is a senior academic member of a college, and a "Tutor" is a teacher who guides students. He stayed there until 1997, when he became a "Fellow Emeritus," which means he kept his title after retiring. He also taught at Merton College, Oxford from 1976 to 1997.

In 1997, Henry Mayr-Harting achieved a significant milestone. He became the Regius Professor of Ecclesiastical History at the University of Oxford. This was special because he was the first Roman Catholic and the first person who was not a priest to hold this important position. As part of this role, he also became a lay canon at Christ Church, Oxford, meaning he was a non-clergyman member of the cathedral's governing body. He retired from these roles in 2003.

Throughout his career, he was recognized for his work. He was a Visiting Fellow at Peterhouse, Cambridge, and a Brown Foundation Fellow at Sewanee: The University of the South. In 1992, he was elected a Fellow of the British Academy, which is a great honor for scholars in the humanities and social sciences. He also led the Ecclesiastical History Society as its president from 2001 to 2002.

Personal Life

In 1968, Henry Mayr-Harting married Caroline Mary Humphries. They have two children: a son named Felix, born in 1969, and a daughter named Ursula, born in 1972. His daughter, Ursula Weekes, is also an art historian and has written several books about art.

Selected Writings

Henry Mayr-Harting has written many books and articles about history. Here are a few examples of his work:

• The Coming of Christianity to Anglo-Saxon England (1972) - This book explores how Christianity spread in England during the Anglo-Saxon period.
• Ottonian Book Illumination: an Historical Study (1991) - This two-volume work looks at the beautiful illuminated manuscripts (decorated books) from the Ottonian period in Germany.
• Church and Cosmos in Early Ottonian Germany: The View from Cologne (2007) - This book explores how people in early medieval Germany understood the relationship between the Church and the universe.
• Religion, Politics and Society in Britain 1066–1272 (2011) - This work covers the connections between religion, government, and daily life in Britain after the Norman Conquest.