Matthias Becher

Professor Matthias Becher is a distinguished scholar in Medieval History at the University of Bonn, Germany, where he serves in the Department of Medieval History within the Institute of History. His academic work focuses on the political, religious, and social structures of the early and high Middle Ages.

His research interests span medieval power dynamics, royal rule, Christianization processes in Western Europe, and political elite structures in the Frankish-German Empire. Professor Becher's work frequently examines how power was mediated and contested in premodern societies, with particular attention to queenship, court disputes, and succession practices.

His projects demonstrate a strong focus on transcultural perspectives in premodern power configurations, examining how intermediate powers interacted with royal authority across the East Frankish-German Empire from the 9th to 12th centuries. His research often analyzes Latin Christian sources to understand representations of 'otherness' and religious transformation.

Professor Becher has been actively involved in numerous significant research initiatives, including as principal investigator, speaker of collaborative research centers, and participating scientist in excellence clusters. His work has contributed substantially to our understanding of medieval political culture and religious transformation in Europe.

As an academic leader, he has contributed to major collaborative efforts including the SFB 1167 'Power and Domination - Premodern Configurations in a Transcultural Perspective' and currently participates in the EXC 2036 'Bonn Center for Dependency and Slavery Studies.'