Professor of History and Chair of the Department
Kenneth E. Wray Chair in the Humanities
Director, Ermarth Institute for the Public Humanities
Medieval Europe, Russia, Ukraine
craffensperger@wittenberg.edu
(937) 327-7843
Hollenbeck Hall 311
Christian Raffensperger鈥檚 academic goal has remained the same since the completion of his Ph.D. at the University of Chicago (2006)鈥攖he integration of the medieval polity of Rus into the larger medieval European world. This theme is present throughout his research and teaching.
His first book, released by Harvard University Press in 2012, won the Ohio Academy of History Publication Award in 2013 and is titled, Reimagining Europe: Kievan Rus鈥� in the Medieval World, 988鈥�1146. It focuses on the multiplicity of connections between the ruling family of Rus and the other ruling families of medieval Europe; including dynastic marriages, religious ties, and trading relationships among other topics.
These themes have continued throughout and been developed throughout his other books as well. The marital connections of the Rusian royal family were the subject of Ties of Kinship: Genealogy and Dynastic Marriage in Kyivan Rus' (Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute, 2016) which also provides a complete genealogy for the Volodimerovichi (often known as the Riurikids) through the mid鈥搕welfth century. This project also has a parallel digital humanities component (developed with the assistance of David Birnbaum (U. Pittsburgh)) - the ; and with the assistance and support of the Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute -
Ties with the neighbors of Rus is not just the subject of his 251 class at Wittenberg but was brought to life via Conflict, Bargaining, and Kinship Networks in Medieval Eastern Europe (Lexington Books, 2018) and more recently The Ruling Families of Rus鈥� (Reaktion Books, 2023), with Donald Ostrowski (Harvard). These books situate Rus as part of medieval Europe and work to connect it into its proper place, without focusing on, or perpetuating a modern Russo-centric narrative.
Dr. Raffensperger鈥檚 recent work has focused on the breadth of medieval Europe. His recent Rulers and Rulership in the Arc of Medieval Europe (Routledge 2023) suggests a rethinking of how we talk about rulers and their polities, their relationship with the church, and even such seemingly basic ideas as succession and titles by looking at areas spanning an arc stretching from Iberia to Ireland, and Scandinavia to Byzantium. That same broad focus is inherent in his new textbook, written with Florin Curta (U. Florida) 鈥� Medieval Europe, 250-1453 (Routledge, 2025). The book integrates material on traditional topics (the Capetians of France) with discussions of steppe nomads, pagan Finns, and in depth coverage of the similarities across Europe, from Hungary to Portugal.
The production of the Medieval Europe textbook is an important component of Dr. Raffensperger鈥檚 shift towards classroom-oriented content. This was seen already in some of the Digital Humanities projects, and has continued in edited collections such as his two Portraits volumes (Portraits of Medieval Eastern Europe, with Donald Ostrowski (Harvard) (Routledge, 2017) and Portraits of Medieval Europe, with E. T. Dailey (Leicester) (Routledge, 2023)). It is essential when attempting to reshape medieval Europe that the audience for that shift is not just professional historians but students.
Similarly, Dr. Raffensperger has written numerous opinion pieces for local papers such as the Springfield News-Sun, Dayton Daily News, and Columbus Dispatch. He also serves on local boards including the board of the Clark County Public Library and that of the Clark County Historical Society.
Academic Background
- Ph.D. University of Chicago
- M.A. University of Chicago
- B.A. Bates College
Recent Press
- 鈥淶elenskyy has thanked American. Trump and Vance's demand would disappoint Reagan鈥� Columbus Dispatch 3/1/2025
- 鈥淯krainians Deserve our World War II-Era Generosity鈥� Springfield News Sun 12/20/2023
- "" Springfield News-Sun 2/25/22
Selected Publications
Books:
- Reimagining Europe: Kievan Rus鈥� in the Medieval World, 988鈥�1146 (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2012)
- Ties of Kinship: Rusian Genealogy and Dynastic Marriage (Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard Ukrainian Research Institute Publications, 2016)
- The Ruling Families of Rus (London: Reaktion, 2023) 鈥� co-authored with Donald Ostrowski
- Rulers and Rulership in the Arc of Medieval Europe (New York: Routledge, 2023)
- Name Unknown: The Life of a Rusian Queen (New York: Routledge, 2024)
- Kyivan Rus in Medieval Europe (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2025)
- Medieval Europe, 250-1450, co-authored with Florin Curta (New York: Routledge, 2025)
Multimedia Features
Podcasts
- 鈥� 6 Episodes
- 鈥�