Personal profile
Expertise
Rhea Mertes obtained a Master’s degree in History at Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) in 2025. During these studies, she developed a particular interest in social mobility in the late middle ages. For her Master’s thesis, Rhea examined the influence of social status and origin in legal prosecution in late medieval Bruges. The thesis focused on how patterns of punishment and legal discourse provided insights into contemporary judicial attitudes towards foreigners in an urban context.
As of October 2025, Rhea has started a joint PhD at VUB and Ghent University within the project The Low Countries - Crossreads of Europe from the Neolithic to the Late Middle Ages (LOCO). Under the supervision of prof. dr. Bart Lambert, prof. dr. Frederik Buylaert and prof. dr. Thijs Lambrecht, her doctoral research investigates the circulation of ideas in the late medieval Low Countries. More specifically, Rhea examines the regulation of food safety in urban and rural food markets between 1200 and 1400. The research aims to shed light on the social norms that shaped urban and rural communities and regulated everyday life, contributing to an interdisciplinary understanding of mobility in its broadest sense.
Research output
- 1 Poster
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Poster Food safety regulation in the Low Countries, c. 1200-1400
Mertes, R., 13 Mar 2026. 1 p.Research output: Unpublished contribution to conference › Poster
Prizes
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Prof. dr. Renée De Bock-Doehaerd Prize
Mertes, R. (Recipient), Oct 2025
Prize: Prize (including medals and awards)
Activities
- 1 Talk or presentation at a workshop/seminar
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ECR Workshop: Food safety regulation in the Low Countries
Mertes, R. (Speaker)
17 Mar 2026Activity: Talk or presentation › Talk or presentation at a workshop/seminar