Rebecca Schleuß (DPhil in German) will be presenting findings from her doctoral work on healthcare in convents during the Middle Ages at the 2026 Sylvia Naish Lecture on 14 May 2026, 5-6pm, under the title 'Healing the Body, Strengthening the Soul: Care and Community in Medieval German Convents'. How was the impaired body engaged with? What provision existed for healthcare, what treatments were available, and by whom were they administered? Medical knowledge and healthcare in medieval religious institutions across the German-speaking areas has so far received little attention, yet offers valuable insights into medieval perceptions of the body, community, faith, and norm. Exploring medieval female religious healthcare showcases how adaptable, caring, and diverse medieval communities were, and how much is yet to be discovered about medieval peoples and their ways.
On the strength of her proposal, she has also been invited to give the Waterloo Centre for German Studies keynote lecture at the German Studies Canada Conference which this year is under the theme 'Imagining a Culture and Discipline of Care and Community'.