Leprosy and the City: civic responses to leprosy in Medieval London and Rouen

Free Lunchtime lecture by Dr Elma Brenner.

Although lepers have traditionally been seen as excluded and stigmatized, there is much evidence in both cities for the charity received by lepers and their integration in society. In the fourteenth century, however, particularly after the Black Death, fears about contagion increased and attitudes to lepers became less positive. In a period when urban governments were becoming increasingly important, the municipalities of London and Rouen instituted measures aimed at reducing disease, including leprosy. The talk by Dr Elma Brenner will examine these measures and other evidence for how responses to leprosy changed between c.1100 and c.1400.
Dr Elma Brenner is currently Wellcome Trust Research Fellow in the Department of History and Philosophy of Science, Cambridge, and Research Fellow at Hughes Hall, Cambridge. Her research focuses on leprosy, charity and society in the medieval city of Rouen, France. She is also interested in memory, gender and religious difference in medieval Western Europe.

Free event, no pre-booking or ticket required. Seating capacity 50 plus standing room, please arrive a little early to secure a seat.

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