Barbara H. Rosenwein

Barbara H. Rosenwein, née Herstein (born March 1, 1945) is an American historian who is professor emerita of history at Loyola University Chicago. Rosenwein is a medieval historian.

Early life and education Barbara H. Rosenwein was born in Chicago, Illinois, on March 1, 1945. She received her B.A. (1966), M.A. (1968) and Ph.D. (1974) at the University of Chicago.

Career Since 1971, Rosenwein has been closely affiliated with Loyola University Chicago, where she was instructor (1971-4), assistant professor (1974–80), associate professor (1980-1988), and professor (1988-2014). She retired from teaching as professor emerita in 2015, but continues to write and research. Rosenwein has contributed to Encyclopædia Britannica.

Research Rosenwein specializes in medieval history and the history of emotions. In later years, Rosenwein has continued her research in medieval history and the history of emotions, co-authoring notable works such as The Middle Ages in 50 Objects (2018) and What is the History of Emotions? (2018). Among her latest works are Anger: The Conflicted History of an Emotion (2020) She is also the author of a large number of articles for scholarly publications. Emotional communities develop distinctive repertoires of feeling shaped by their beliefs, practices, and social relationships. Rosenwein argues that emotions are not universal psychological constants but historically situated patterns embedded in communal life. Her framework emphasizes plurality: multiple emotional communities often exist side by side, each cultivating its own affective style. Rosenwein’s concept has frequently been contrasted with William M. Reddy’s notion of "emotion regimes," which refers to the normative systems through which political or institutional authorities prescribe acceptable forms of emotional expression across wide social domains. Whereas emotional communities highlight the diversity of group-specific emotional cultures, emotional regimes describe top-down structures that stabilize, enforce, or authorize particular ways of feeling in public life. Rosenwein’s approach underscores horizontal variation within societies, while Reddy’s focuses on overarching frameworks that may constrain or reshape the emotional possibilities available to individuals.

Personal life Rosenwein is married and has two children and five grandchildren.

Selected works Rhinoceros Bound: Cluny in the Tenth Century (1982, University of Pennsylvania Press) To Be the Neighbor of St. Peter: The Social Meaning of Cluny's Property, 909-1049 (1989, Cornell University Press) Negotiating Space: Power, Restraint, and Privileges of Immunity in Early Medieval Europe (1999, Cornell University Press) A Short History of the Middle Ages (2001, Broadview Press) (fifth edition, 2018) Emotional Communities in the Early Middle Ages (2006, Cornell University Press) Generations of Feeling: A History of Emotions, 600-1700 (2015, Cambridge University Press) What Is the History of Emotions? (Co-authored with Riccardo Cristiani) (2017, Polity Press) The Middle Ages in 50 Objects (Co-authored with Elina Gertsman) (2018, Cambridge University Press) Anger: The Conflicted History of an Emotion (2020, Yale University Press) Love: A History in Five Fantasies (2022, Polity Press)