"Rolle und Rang" is an investigation of a corpus of thirteen aristocratic genealogical rolls composed in Germany and England in the late Middle Ages. Based on a dissertation submitted in 2023 at the University of Heidelberg, it is both a technical study of the physical properties of the rolls and the conditions of their production, and an analysis of the information within and their functioning in their respective social milieus. It is lengthy, detailed, and leaves no stone unturned.

Kuhn has focused on genealogical rolls (as opposed to codices) since rolls are performative in a way that codices are not: it is much easier to display them publicly and in their entirety to an audience. They also lend themselves well to the subject matter, since genealogies form a potentially limitless and unbroken chain. The rolls in question (in England: the Beauchamp Roll, Tewkesbury Roll, the Roll of the Botelers of Sudeley, the Pickering Roll, the Whitby Roll, the Rous Roll, and the Berkeley Roll; in Germany: the Berchtesgaden Roll, the Munich Roll, and the Roll of the Margraves of Baden) predate the development of professional genealogy and so do not follow any standard format, although they all share the same chief function, which is to maintain and enhance the status of their aristocratic subjects.

This function can be achieved through length (the longer, the more prestigious), through demonstrating connections to other important people, especially the monarch or other illustrious (or legendary) ancestors, through listing the achievements of these ancestors or other kinfolk, and (not least) through covering up embarrassment (by minimizing disreputable ancestors or illegitimacy). People can be represented on the rolls by portraits in roundels or by heraldic coats of arms, and much marginal decoration added, but always with a view of enhancing the claims of the family in question - the Tree of Jesse was always a popular choice for this effect.

For material, roll makers generally preferred parchment as longer-lasting and more expensive (and thus more prestigious), which also allowed them to take advantage of the unique sizes of each membrane - a wider piece, which might fold out, could accommodate more names in a particular generation. Of course, rolls were often designed to be open to the possibility of extension, both in material and in content, but they could also be disassembled and bound as codices if they were no longer required for public display. A surprising number of these rolls have their origins in monasteries - the monks wishing to honor and stay on good terms with the local lord (and to keep donations coming), and to maintain the memory of those buried in the monastery - although their audiences could be secular.

Many more details about genealogical rolls may be gleaned from "Rolle und Rang" which, as noted, is a lengthy and technical study. As such, its appeal may be limited to those working on this precise topic, although such scholars will find it very useful indeed. The sixteen-page well of sharp color illustrations is a welcome tool for readers, although the dimensions of many of the rolls mean that a lot of the details are reduced in size. More zoomed-in details - if only in black and white - would have been helpful.

One interesting discovery of Kuhn's is just how similar German and English genealogical rolls are - with the observed exception that the English rolls are more concerned with establishing a family's royal connections, while German rolls are keen on demonstrating family cohesion, most likely a function of the differing forms of government in each polity (i.e. a strong, centralized monarchy vs. an elective one). Like a genealogical roll, this area of inquiry could certainly be expanded in future studies. What insights might be established through an examination of genealogical rolls from other kingdoms?

This book, however, is long enough as it is, and a fitting testament to the industry and insights of a promising young scholar.

Jonathan Good