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How Did The Black Death Affect The Culture Of The Middle Ages

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How Did The Black Death Affect The Culture Of The Middle Ages
The Black Death was a disastrous plague that struck Europe in October of 1317. It was spread by infected trading ships that arrived in Sicilian harbors. As the plague took people by storm, it spread throughout Germany and England and then up to the Baltic States. This horrifying mass murderous disease took the lives of 75 million people, something that shook the lives of everyone during the Middle Ages. This epidemic affected the social, economic, and religious aspects of the medieval culture. However, the religious changes were the biggest switch in the Middle Ages culture that affected the beliefs in the Modern Era. Therefore, the social and economic shifts were the least important.
The social transformation after the Black Death involved the loss of many lives. Over one third of the population in Europe was abolished by this plague. No one was safe from the death. People fled from overcrowded cities into the rural countryside, but to no avail. They couldn’t escape, as the death was also spread through …show more content…
During the Middle Ages, the church was one of the most prominent ruling hierarchy. Everything was based on the religion: their faith, their community, and even their science and medicinal practices. Their medical knowledge was taken from not only their medical books, but also their bibles. Because of this dominant religious society, people thought the plague was punishment from God. They believe it was a big curse from God for the sins that they committed. In order to win God’s forgiveness, they thought they should get rid of all people of different faith, which ended in the massacre of thousands of Jews in 1348 and 1349. This could have been a start to the anti-semitic acts that were committed in the Modern Era. In addition to this, the plague more than likely changed the way medicine was practiced, moving the system from the bible to actual scientific
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