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- Title
GODEFROID KURTH ET JEAN D'OUTREMEUSE : UN HISTORIEN DU XX<sup>e</sup> SIÈCLE FACE À L'INVENTION HISTORIQUE.
- Authors
COURROUX, Pierre
- Abstract
Godefroid Kurth, a methodological and rigorous historian from the beginning of the twentieth century, and Jean d'Outremeuse, prolix but disorganized chronicler from the fourteenth century, seem to share the same profession, that of historian. Between the two, however, stands a gaping abyss due to two visions of history totally opposed. For the first one, history is made of positive events, rebuilt by a meticulous study of the sources. For the second one, history is a well of anecdotes useful to interest an audience: it is built with legends, personal inventions, whose aim is to create plausibility as well as a true historical narrative. When G. Kurth published in 1910 his critical study on Jean d'Outremeuse, the latter was not anymore able to defend his work. As a consequence, he was slowly forgotten and his vision of history was exposed to public contempt. What kind of look an historian should have today on this quarrel ? Do the evolution of modern historiography, particularly the linguistic turn, who insisted on narrative aspect of every history, can lead him to rehabilitate the chronicler? Isn't it more important to understand the approach of both protagonists and to see them, in spite of their status of historian, as subjects, witnesses of their history and their own times ?
- Subjects
KURTH, Godefroid; D'OUTREMEUSE, Jean; HISTORIANS; ANECDOTES; PLAUSIBILITY (Logic); PROTAGONISTS (Persons)
- Publication
Médiévales, 2013, Vol 64, p153
- ISSN
0751-2708
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.4000/medievales.7004