Abstract

This article discusses the significance of Jerusalem for the Christian world view in the Late Middle Ages. Starting from at least the 12th century, Jerusalem was considered to be the centre of the world. Various more or less plausible arguments (taken from the Holy Bible, other authoritative texts or even from physical observation) were put forward to prove its centrality. All other countries and places seemed to be situated on the periphery around the Holy Land and the Holy City. This can be clearly seen on world maps (mappae mundi) from the 12th to the 14th and even the 16th century.

Because of its sanctity Jerusalem became an important and extremely attractive goal for travellers during the Late Middle Ages. Thousands of pilgrims went to the eastern shore of the Mediterranean and visited the holy places in Jerusalem, Bethlehem, at the river Jordan and so on. All of them had three goals in mind: imagining the life and death of Jesus Christ at those places “where his feet stood” (ubi steterunt pedes eius); following in his footsteps and imitating his deeds (imitatio Christi); collecting stones, sand, oil or water as relics of the holy places and as souvenirs of their stay there. Therefore Jerusalem was seen as the spiritual centre of Europe and the most prestigious “lieu de mémoire” of Latin Christendom.

Reality, however, was different. Jerusalem was not located in the centre of Europe, but on its periphery and Palestine was not that Promised Land “flowing with milk and honey”, but an impoverished and dilapidated province of the Mamluk Sultanate in Cairo. Most pilgrims were disappointed when they realized the misery, poverty and dryness of the Holy Land. Even the idea of pilgrimage was called into question by some visitors seeing the Holy City in ruins. Moreover, they found themselves in a hostile country and had to experience their stay as a hidden war at a cultural border. From this point of view, Jerusalem was Europe's centre and periphery at the same time. This very specific constellation might have influenced the so-called European expansion in Early Modern Times.