The Medieval Cultural Heritage of the Baltic Sea Region

A special issue of Heritage (ISSN 2571-9408). This special issue belongs to the section "Archaeological Heritage".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 30 June 2026 | Viewed by 2986

Special Issue Editors


E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Castle Museum in Malbork, Malbork, Poland
Interests: medieval history; medieval archaeology; East Central Europe; Baltic region; crusades; military orders

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of History, Medieval and Early Modern Europe, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, USA
Interests: Carolingian Europe; medieval eastern Europe; Byzantium; archaeology; medievalism

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

The history of the Baltic Sea region, particularly that of the Middle Ages, has been the subject of intense international research over the past three decades. This research has focused on the conquest and colonisation of the region, the structure of its administration (i.e., military orders and the Catholic Church, in addition to local rulers), its visual culture, and its material culture.

Equally as important to these studies are the region’s cultural heritage, namely its built monuments (the most emblematic of which trace their origins to the Middle Ages). The documentation and restoration of these monuments has, in some cases (e.g., Malbork Castle in Poland) shaped the very practice of heritage conservation in Europe. There is also a strong connection between local populations in the region and their built heritage, which also shapes approaches to the uses of these monuments in the present day. Important questions, such as ‘what do these monuments mean to local and international communities?’ help to situate the region within the broader perspective of European cultural heritage.

Dr. Gregory Leighton
Prof. Dr. Florin Curta
Guest Editors

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 250 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for assessment.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Heritage is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 1800 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • heritage
  • history
  • archaeology
  • material culture
  • Baltic region
  • conservation

Benefits of Publishing in a Special Issue

  • Ease of navigation: Grouping papers by topic helps scholars navigate broad scope journals more efficiently.
  • Greater discoverability: Special Issues support the reach and impact of scientific research. Articles in Special Issues are more discoverable and cited more frequently.
  • Expansion of research network: Special Issues facilitate connections among authors, fostering scientific collaborations.
  • External promotion: Articles in Special Issues are often promoted through the journal's social media, increasing their visibility.
  • Reprint: MDPI Books provides the opportunity to republish successful Special Issues in book format, both online and in print.

Further information on MDPI's Special Issue policies can be found here.

Published Papers (2 papers)

Order results
Result details
Select all
Export citation of selected articles as:

Research

17 pages, 721 KB  
Article
Legitimisation of Historical Artifact Forgeries: Analytical Framework and Cases in Medieval Polish–Lithuanian Numismatics
by Valdas Kavaliauskas, Mindaugas Kiškis and Arūnas Žebrauskas
Heritage 2026, 9(3), 107; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage9030107 - 10 Mar 2026
Viewed by 492
Abstract
This article investigates the phenomenon of numismatic forgery legitimisation and its impact on the fields of numismatics, archaeology, history and law. Forgery legitimisation is a broad phenomenon that encompasses both physical forgery and the presentation of fake artifacts as genuine in research literature, [...] Read more.
This article investigates the phenomenon of numismatic forgery legitimisation and its impact on the fields of numismatics, archaeology, history and law. Forgery legitimisation is a broad phenomenon that encompasses both physical forgery and the presentation of fake artifacts as genuine in research literature, auction catalogues, and other contexts. Using the qualitative case-study methodology, the authors propose an analytical framework for suspected forgery legitimisation that incorporates a novel classification of forms and types of forgery, as well as socio-legal mens rea elements. The framework also accounts for factors contributing to the legitimisation of forgeries, including lack of competence, low competition in coin catalogue publication, tradition, closed numismatic communities, and insufficient academic and legal attention. Using this framework, the authors examine two cases of legitimisation of fake coins in medieval Polish–Lithuanian numismatics. The analysis shows how repetition across sources can legitimise fake artifacts, complicating later correction and corrupting heritage research, history and museum science, as well as market integrity. The proposed analytical framework can be useful for investigating other dubious artifacts and for developing analysis methods for forgery legitimisation cases. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Medieval Cultural Heritage of the Baltic Sea Region)
16 pages, 13623 KB  
Article
The Practices of Preserving Medieval Castles in Latvia from 1945 to 1991: The Case of Turaida Castle
by Ieva Ose
Heritage 2026, 9(2), 43; https://doi.org/10.3390/heritage9020043 - 23 Jan 2026
Viewed by 1406
Abstract
The practices followed in the preservation of medieval castles in Latvia during the Soviet occupation period have not yet been comprehensively examined. This article seeks to elucidate this issue by considering a single case study—Turaida Castle. From the 13th until the mid-16th century, [...] Read more.
The practices followed in the preservation of medieval castles in Latvia during the Soviet occupation period have not yet been comprehensively examined. This article seeks to elucidate this issue by considering a single case study—Turaida Castle. From the 13th until the mid-16th century, Turaida Castle functioned as one of the principal residences of the Archbishop of Riga. From the 17th century onward, its medieval fortifications progressively deteriorated. Between 1952 and 1991, during the Soviet occupation period, the ruins of Turaida Castle became the subject of major restoration, reconstruction, and conservation projects, as well as systematic archaeological investigation. These preservation efforts were impeded by the deteriorated condition of the original brickwork and by the limited availability of appropriate methodologies and theoretical literature. Nonetheless, owing to the scope and continuity of these interventions, Turaida Castle has become one of the most frequently visited heritage sites in Latvia, attracting both international and domestic visitors from the 1960s to the present. The article outlines the principal achievements of the site’s preservation practices and identifies key challenges and shortcomings that have emerged throughout the process. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue The Medieval Cultural Heritage of the Baltic Sea Region)
Show Figures

Figure 1

Back to TopTop