Die spätmittelalterlichen und frühneuzeitlichen Graffiti in der Marburger Elisabethkirche. Befund, methodische Herausforderungen und Quellenwert

The paper deals with the 1,300 late medieval and early modern graffiti discovered inside and outside of the St. Elizabeth’s church in Marburg (Germany, Hesse). Until now they have gone almost unnoticed by previous researchers. The scratched or painted inscriptions and drawings are spread across all parts of the church but with particular focus on the exterior south wall, the southern choir (containing the tombs of the duces of Hesse) and the sacristy which alone includes an impressive amount of 454 graffiti. Dealing with methodical challenges like the loss of records as a result of modern restorations, the paper presents several types of inscriptions in detail. The 93 scratched coats of arms in the sacristy were left, on the one hand, by members of the Teutonic Order which used to be the owner of the church. On the other hand, they were left by late medieval nobel travelers who hoped for secular honour and celestial intercession of St. Elizabeth. Students of the University of Marburg, which was founded in 1527, represent another big group of graffiti authors. Subsequently, the paper points out the eminent value which graffiti can claim as source material for various areas of research, such as the late medieval pilgrimages to St. Elizabeth or the early modern student body in Marburg.