Peter Moraw's research focused on the
constitutional history of the German Late Middle Ages,
social history, German regional history from the Middle Ages to modern times, and the history of universities and education in those periods. He published nine standalone works and over 200 essays, articles, and contributions to handbooks and encyclopedias. His work significantly enhanced the understanding of the Late Middle Ages, a period that had been relatively understudied. From 1987, he served as a co-editor and advisor for the
Lexikon des Mittelalters, writing numerous articles on topics such as Germany in the Late Middle Ages,
Charles IV, and the
Imperial Diet.
Works on the Late Middle Ages Development of new approaches since the 1970s Since the 1970s, historians Peter Moraw and Volker Press have identified a gap in historical scholarship related to the integration of imperial and regional history. In 1977, Moraw introduced a method aimed at addressing this issue by proposing a constitutional-historical territorial grammar. This approach aimed to identify and analyze recurring situations and processes that shape the evolution of political territories, focusing on personal relationships, the dynasty, and the interactions between the king and the territories. Concerning the "personal relationships", the dynasty, the relationship between the king and the realm on the one hand and the territories on the other, as well as the territorial constitution, there were four aspects under which a "territorial grammar" could be written in the sense of "historical rule or reference systems." Moraw and Press argued that separating royal actions from territorial developments hindered the understanding of political complexities. They sought to expand constitutional and political history to include social history, moving beyond the traditional institutional model of the Old Kingdom to develop a more nuanced view of the late medieval and
early modern period. They initiated a program for the structural analysis of the imperial body, placing the king and emperor as central figures in the empire's legitimacy. Their goal was to create a political-structural map of the empire that combined social and constitutional history by examining institutions like the
Imperial Diet and the Imperial Judiciary, as well as their political supporters. This project aimed for a synthesis of constitutional and socio-historical perspectives, with the long-term goal of achieving a unified understanding of the
Holy Roman Empire. Moraw shifted away from classical constitutional and administrative history, believing that institutions were shaped by individuals. He rejected the term "civil servants," preferring to describe those who wielded money and power in their roles as "co-entrepreneurs." He argued that understanding personal relationships and associations was crucial for making meaningful statements about institutions.
From "open constitution" to "designed densification" In 1989, Peter Moraw published a comprehensive overview of German history from the 13th to 15th centuries as part of the
Propylaea History of Germany series. This was the first extensive treatment of the period since Hermann Heimpel's work,
Germany in the Later Middle Ages, which was published in 1938 and revised in 1957. Moraw characterized the evolution of the empire as a shift from an "open constitution" to a "designed consolidation." He defined the "open constitution" as a legacy of the defeat of the
Hohenstaufen dynasty, where institutional participation was minimal, and only a select few engaged in the empire's power dynamics. In contrast, Moraw argued that the "designed consolidation" arose from new challenges at the end of the Middle Ages, such as the rise of the
Habsburg dynasty and the establishment of an institutional dualism among the
imperial estates, culminating in the Imperial Diet. This marked a period where the great dynasty and the estates became mutually dependent.
Relationship between central and local powers Peter Moraw conducted numerous studies on the spatial and power structure of the empire, particularly during the time of Charles IV. In 1982, he emphasized the need for research into the mechanisms of political rule in the late medieval empire for a better understanding of its governance. In a 1987 essay, he questioned how a large empire could function with limited resources and personnel, suggesting that administrative history should incorporate methods of personal historical research. Moraw argued that at the end of the Middle Ages, the empire was not an abstract state but rather a polycentric structure of regions with varying levels of development and proximity to the king. He identified three main zones within the empire: the hereditary lands, regions close to the king, and those further away with minimal contribution to the royal court. He further divided the empire into six areas based on the territories of the reigning king, rival dynasties, and electors, along with landscapes categorized by their closeness to the king. Unlike other scholars, Moraw placed less emphasis on
rulers' itineraries. was of secondary importance for Moraw. With regard to Franconia, Moraw defined "proximity to the king" in terms of persons such as "royal servants" and "royal partners". He defined "proximity to the king" through roles such as "royal servants" and "royal partners." He also observed that the northern Alpine empire, particularly in the late 14th century, could be divided into fourteen largely self-sufficient regions. Peter Moraw approached the history of territories and regions from the perspective of kingship. In several essays, he argued that late medieval kingship did not equally encompass all landscapes of the empire. He categorized the empire into zones, distinguishing between areas "close to the king" and those "distant from the king". "Close to the king" included regions such as Franconia with Nuremberg, the Middle Rhine-Upper Main region with Frankfurt, parts of Swabia centered in Augsburg, and to a lesser extent, the Middle Elbe-Saale region. He viewed the Upper Rhine and, to a lesser extent, the Lower Rhine as "open to the king," while he considered the territories of rival dynasties and non-royal electors as "politically distant from the king." The northern part of the empire and the Romanesque west and southwest were also geographically remote from the king. In his 1987 essay, "
On Developmental Differences and Developmental Equalization in the German and European Middle Ages", Moraw proposed a developmental model highlighting a cultural divide between west-east and south-north. He suggested that this divide ran through the medieval empire, with regions like
Germania Slavica, located mainly along the Baltic Sea, being particularly disadvantaged. He argued that a balance was only achieved by the end of the Middle Ages. Moraw also introduced a model for understanding the varying stages of development in Europe, based on the influence of Roman antiquity, which significantly affected southern and western Europe ("older Europe") but had limited impact in central, northern, and eastern Europe ("younger Europe"). This model has been applied to explain differences between European universities as well. Peter Moraw advocated for greater incorporation of dynastic considerations in the study of late medieval constitutional and social history. He viewed dynastic actions as central to political dynamics, stating that kings often prioritized dynastic interests before considering their territories and the empire. He classified dynasties into categories such as "great dynasties," "secondary powers," "middle powers," and principalities with limited political influence. This classification faced criticism from Karl-Heinz Spiess, who noted the challenges in measuring the "capacity to act". Moraw expressed a preference for great dynasties and centralizing tendencies, considering them crucial to German history. He described the period from the
interregnum to the early 14th century as one of relative stagnation in constitutional development. He characterized the late medieval rulers during this time, from
Rudolf of Habsburg to
Henry VII, as "small kings" by European standards, noting their modest power and underdeveloped means of governance. He characterized
Sigismund's reign as one of "exertion and excessive demands. For Moraw, the princes were mostly underpowered and had little or no room for maneuver within the late medieval imperial structure. He regarded Charles IV highly, considering him the "greatest ruler of the German late Middle Ages" and his reign as a peak of royal power. Moraw also viewed Charles IV's chancellery as a significant achievement in the administrative history of the late medieval empire.
Court and Imperial Diet research Peter Moraw utilized
prosopography in his research to explore social dynamics such as clientelism, patronage, kinship, and friendship within late medieval
chancelleries and
courts. He argued that kingship should be understood through the relationships among individuals rather than through institutions. In his analysis of the court of the Roman-German kings from Rudolf of Habsburg to
Frederick III, he identified 230 learned jurists. Moraw engaged in a scholarly discourse with Friedrich Battenberg, whose dissertation in 1974 examined the institutionalization of the court and its relationship to the king. Battenberg proposed that the court had become largely independent from the king by 1430 due to professionalization, a view Moraw considered too modern and anachronistic. In the 1980s, Moraw shifted his focus to research on the Imperial Diet. In his 1980 essay on its origins, he historicized the imperial assemblies, noting that they took on an institutional form only in the late 15th century. He argued that the term "Imperial Diet" did not appear in sources until after 1495. Moraw advocated for a critical examination of source materials related to 15th-century imperial dietary records, suggesting that earlier compilations had significantly shaped the understanding of the Imperial Diet. Moraw made notable contributions to the study of the German royal court in the late Middle Ages. He argued that medieval imperial assemblies should not be viewed as modern representative bodies and noted that the Imperial Diet at the end of the 15th century functioned as a court day—a meeting between the king and his supporters—distinct from the ruler's daily court. In 1992/93, he organized a conference on the German royal court and the Imperial Diet, focusing primarily on constitutional and social history. The discussions addressed the modernization of rule, legal legitimacy, and the cultural-political significance of the court and the Imperial Diet. Moraw's work suggested that the court had evolved from being the central political authority to an important aspect of the ruler's public life and influence.
University history Peter Moraw was recognized as an expert in university history, a field he engaged with for over five decades. His dissertation addressed aspects of university history, specifically highlighting the financial support of Heidelberg University by the Palatine
monastery of St. Philipp zu Zell after the Reformation. His first publication on this topic appeared in 1961, and his final work was published in 2007. As an academic teacher, he supervised nine doctoral dissertations and two postdoctoral theses on university history. Unlike earlier research that focused on legal sources to describe university operations. In contrast to earlier scholarship, Moraw focused on individuals rather than institutions. Moraw emphasized individual and socio-historical aspects, offering new insights into late medieval and early modern universities. He co-authored an article for the 575th anniversary of Heidelberg University, revealing connections between the university and the town of Neustadt an der Haardt through a list of students. In a 1975 essay, he advocated for incorporating social history into university history research, using personal and social data to analyze groups within their political, social, and cultural contexts. He drew on social science approaches earlier explored by scholars like
Lawrence Stone and
Jacques Le Goff. Moraw viewed universities as important centers of personal relationships. The 375th anniversary of the University of Giessen in 1982 spurred Peter Moraw to engage in a more in-depth study of the university's history. His work,
Kleine Geschichte der Universität Gießen (1607-1982), first published in 1982 and updated in 1990, remains the only comprehensive account of the university's history. In this monograph, he emphasized social history, earning the Justus Liebig University Prize in 1983 for his contributions. Moraw approached the history of universities from a cross-epochal perspective, distinguishing three dimensions of university history research: institutional, scientific, and environmental. He advocated for placing universities within their broader contexts and proposed developing a social history of the university. He illustrated this by examining the relationship between the University of Heidelberg and the court of the Count Palatine. He was also a notable expert on the history of
Charles University in Prague, publishing a significant account of its history from its founding in 1347/48 to 1417/19, focusing on constitutional and social history. He studied the Prague Faculty of Law from the perspective of constitutional and social history. Moraw studied various German and Central European universities and, along with Rainer Christoph Schwinges, initiated the
Repertorium Academicum Germanicum. This research project, running from 2001 to 2019, aims to document 64,000 scholars of the
Old Kingdom between 1250 and 1550, integrating institutional, social, and cultural history to create a comprehensive understanding of scholars in pre-modern society.
Collegiate churches Peter Moraw's early research on collegiate churches began with his dissertation on St. Philipp Abbey in Zell, which examined its foundation, internal and external conditions, ownership, and eventual decline. This work received positive feedback from scholars. In 1964 and 1965, he published two essays in the
Archive for Middle Rhine Church History that stemmed from his dissertation, one focusing on the challenges faced by the small collegiate monastery of St. Fabian in
Hornbach, and the other addressing issues of patronage related to St. Philipp in Zell. Moraw continued his research on collegiate churches through comparative studies and critical reviews rather than additional monographs. In 1977 and 1980, he published essays discussing Hessian and German collegiate churches, outlining typological, chronological, and geographical frameworks. He identified monasticism, episcopacy, and secular governance as key influences on collegiate church institutions and classified them into three types: monastic, episcopal, and lay foundations. Moraw emphasized the importance of studying collegiate churches as sites of interaction between church and society from the 9th to the 16th centuries, suggesting that traditional church-historical approaches could be minimized. He distinguished three foundational periods: the Carolingian-pre-Germanic period (816-900), the early German-archaic period (mid-10th to 11th century), and the Old European-territorial phase (13th century until the Reformation). He also posited that the study of collegiate churches and their endowments could reflect broader socio-economic developments in Germany and Europe.
Hessian state history Peter Moraw's research on Hessian regional history aimed to address broader questions within the context of kingship. He approached regional history by examining the dynamics of the Holy Roman Empire, shifting his focus from the territory to the monarchy. This perspective emphasized political and social structures rather than demographic or environmental factors. Moraw found the
Landgraviate of Hesse particularly relevant for developing his theoretical concepts, integrating regional findings into a larger framework. In his essay on Hesse and German kingship, he noted the distance of the landgraviate from the kings. However, his models relied more on existing research than on extensive primary source analysis, leading some scholars, like Christine Reinle, to point out the limited source density in his works. While he did not initiate any editions of regional history, Moraw supervised many projects in Hessian regional history. He also played a key role in organizing the Hessian State Exhibition on Hesse and Thuringia in 1992 and delivered lectures on various topics related to Hessian history for organizations such as the Hessian Broadcasting Corporation and the Upper Hessian Historical Society. == Scientific organization ==