Salian intellectual history in historiographical perspective

Abstract The Salian period (1024–1125) was one of momentous religious change and intellectual productivity in Germany. While on the one hand, it was dominated by the titanic struggle between empire and papacy known as the Investiture Contest, on the other, it saw the monasteries and cathedral schools of the kingdom produce a steady stream of important works in areas such as canon law, history, theology, rhetoric, poetry and music. Nevertheless, the period has not received the attention it deserves in English‐language scholarship. This article discusses the reasons for its comparative neglect, surveys the rich existing German historiography and suggests new avenues for future work.