A History of Social Communication in East Central Europe: Words, Scripts and Beyond

This chapter discusses the various forms of social communication and symbolism that framed the meanings of the spoken word, letters, and images in medieval East Central Europe. Focusing on elements of non-verbal communication, it examines the diverse communication capacities of particular regional groups, as well as the varying expectations in the region’s socio-cultural interactions. It is important not to put writing in radical opposition to oral and non-verbal communication; visual communication, for instance, combines crucial elements of these non-written forms by turning the sounds of the spoken word into a negotiated system of graphical signs. The ongoing investigation of the development of literacy in East Central Europe allows the conclusion that, despite some chronological delays, the implementation of writing in the region had a dynamic similar to that in many other parts of Europe. From the thirteenth century onwards, one can see both an apparent democratization and individualization in making, using, and keeping records in the ever-widening spectrum of pragmatic literacy, especially in urban environments.