The first half of the 14th century, with its relatively rapid transition from the so-called Medieval Climate Anomaly to the so-called Little Ice Age, is the first period in history in which a change from one climatic regime to another is assessable not only by scientific data. At the same time, this climactic change can also be detected in comparatively good written records on meteorological and social phenomena of change. The idea of the ‘crisis of the 14th century’ is a well-established interpretational pattern for numerous developments and problems of late medieval societies in Europe. However, this interpretation has been criticized as a contemporary projection of the crisis-ridden 20th century. The narrative of crisis does certainly not apply to all developments after 1300 but a focus on the natural framework of the time might help sharpen our knowledge about the processes through which environmental change contributed to socio-economic crisis.

The increasing frequency of extreme natural events and their impact on societies is hard to deny: The first extensive onslaught of the Black Death, between 1347-51, has always attracted the attention of research, but the wet and cold years from 1345 onwards are yet to be analysed in detail. An interest in the “Great Famine“ (1315-21), which is believed to have affected above all North-western Europe, has become stronger in the past few years. New fields of investigation are added to the analysis of epidemics and famines: There is emerging research on epizootics and flood events such as St. Mary Magdalene’s Flood in 1342, which led to massive erosion or the ‘Grote Mandrenke’ storm surge on the North Sea coast in 1362. At the same time, counteractions of the affected societies can be observed. These include the construction of embankments and dikes, as well as grain provision and the organization of municipal health care. On the cognitive level, a newly awakened interest in the reception and interpretation of meteorological phenomena by late medieval witnesses is clearly visible, and is not limited to interpretations based on astro-meteorology and theology of punishment.

The conference at the German Historical Institut in Rome focuses on the supposed climatic deterioration from 1300 on, discussing its presumed impact on economy and society, and the possibly related epidemic, cultural and political phenomena. In this context, the meteorological term ‘teleconnections‘ describes the occurrence of causal correlations between (not only geographically) distant areas: Here, we deal with the direct and indirect impact of meteorologically extreme events on medieval societies between 1280 and 1380. Geographically, the proposed papers will not only focus on the relatively well explored Northwestern Europe, but also on equally important areas in Central, Southern and East-Central Europe. Additionally, a global perspective will be provided by contributions on the Byzantine and Muslim world as well as on South East Asia.