Robert Berkhofer

Robert Berkhofer is a Professor of History and Director of the Medieval Institute at Western Michigan University. His research focuses on medieval European power dynamics, historical writing, and archival practices, particularly in northwestern Europe between 900-1300 CE.

• Education: Ph.D. (Harvard University, 1997), M.A. (Harvard University, 1990), B.A. (Cornell University, 1988)

His work examines how medieval monastic and princely institutions used records, charters, and narratives to construct authority and legitimacy. He has published extensively on topics including abbatial lordship, legal practices, and social transformations in medieval France and England.

As an educator, Berkhofer teaches graduate courses in medieval history and studies, and undergraduate courses like Hist 1000: The Early Western World and Hist 3600: The Medieval World: Society and Culture. He advises masters and doctoral students interested in literacy, power, and historical writing in the central Middle Ages.