Björn Weiler, a Professor of History at Aberystwyth University, and a leading scholar of medieval European political history, has passed away.
Born in 1969, Björn studied at the University of St. Andrews, where he earned a master’s degree and a PhD. In 2001, he began teaching at Aberystwyth University in Wales, but his career also took him to the University of Cambridge, the University of Bergen, the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard, and the Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies, where he served as a visiting scholar.
He described himself as being “a specialist in European cultural and political history, in particular the development of kingship, historical culture, and the interplay between ideals and the practical demands of power.” Weiler’s work focused on political power in Europe between the years 950 and 1250. Among his books, he wrote:
King Henry III of England and the Staufen Empire, 1216–1272 (2006): This work examines the intricate political relationships between England and the Staufen dynasty during the reign of Henry III.
Kingship, Rebellion and Political Culture: England and Germany, c. 1215–c. 1250 (2007): In this book, Weiler explores the norms of political behavior, the public nature of politics, and the social history of political exchange in medieval England and Germany.
Paths to Kingship in Medieval Latin Europe, c. 950–1200 (2021): This study delves into the processes of king-making, analyzing how various groups participated in establishing and sustaining royal authority across Latin Europe.
Political Culture in the Latin West, Byzantium and the Islamic World, c. 700–c. 1500: A Framework for Comparing Three Spheres (2021): A work he co-edited, Björn also wrote the article “The Latin West: Expectations and Legitimisation.”
Weiler also penned numerous articles. One of the most recent was “Ralph of Diss, the coronation of Philip Augustus (1179) and the English claim to the French throne,” published in open-access last year in the journal Historical Research. You can read several his other articles on his Academia.edu page. Weiler also wrote several pieces on the blog Unity, diversity and the past: Europe c.1100-1300.
Friends and colleagues of Björn Weiler have gone on social media to express their admiration of him and his contribution to medieval studies:
Deeply saddened by the death of my friend, Professor Björn Weiler of Aberystwyth University. A brilliant medieval historian, he used to plague me with YouTube videos featuring terrible songs from the disco era. I will miss him more than I can say.
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— Elizabeth Boyle (@thecelticist.bsky.social) November 15, 2024 at 12:32 PM
I am devastated to share the news that our colleague and friend, Björn Weiler, Professor of History at Aberystwyth University, passed away after a period of illness. He was one of most kind and helpful people you could encounter in academia, and a world-leading scholar of medieval kingship.
— Gábor Gelléri (@gaborgelleri.bsky.social) November 15, 2024 at 9:54 AM
Björn Weiler, a Professor of History at Aberystwyth University, and a leading scholar of medieval European political history, has passed away.
Born in 1969, Björn studied at the University of St. Andrews, where he earned a master’s degree and a PhD. In 2001, he began teaching at Aberystwyth University in Wales, but his career also took him to the University of Cambridge, the University of Bergen, the Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study at Harvard, and the Freiburg Institute for Advanced Studies, where he served as a visiting scholar.
He described himself as being “a specialist in European cultural and political history, in particular the development of kingship, historical culture, and the interplay between ideals and the practical demands of power.” Weiler’s work focused on political power in Europe between the years 950 and 1250. Among his books, he wrote:
King Henry III of England and the Staufen Empire, 1216–1272 (2006): This work examines the intricate political relationships between England and the Staufen dynasty during the reign of Henry III.
Kingship, Rebellion and Political Culture: England and Germany, c. 1215–c. 1250 (2007): In this book, Weiler explores the norms of political behavior, the public nature of politics, and the social history of political exchange in medieval England and Germany.
Paths to Kingship in Medieval Latin Europe, c. 950–1200 (2021): This study delves into the processes of king-making, analyzing how various groups participated in establishing and sustaining royal authority across Latin Europe.
Political Culture in the Latin West, Byzantium and the Islamic World, c. 700–c. 1500: A Framework for Comparing Three Spheres (2021): A work he co-edited, Björn also wrote the article “The Latin West: Expectations and Legitimisation.”
Weiler also penned numerous articles. One of the most recent was “Ralph of Diss, the coronation of Philip Augustus (1179) and the English claim to the French throne,” published in open-access last year in the journal Historical Research. You can read several his other articles on his Academia.edu page. Weiler also wrote several pieces on the blog Unity, diversity and the past: Europe c.1100-1300.
Friends and colleagues of Björn Weiler have gone on social media to express their admiration of him and his contribution to medieval studies:
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