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St. Nicholas (Santa?) with Rutger Kramer

Dec 17, 2025
1h 1m

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Episode Description

Prof. Gabriele and Rutger Kramer talk about jolly old St. Nicholas - who, in part, became a saint because he was a rich guy who was also nice. Then he became Santa Claus.



Guest

Rutger Kramer is assistant professor of Medieval History at Utrecht University (The Netherlands). He works mostly on Carolingian history, monasticism, and hagiographies – topics which are tied together by his interest in the stories people tell about themselves, the way they justify their actions, and the construction of power and authority that flows from these choices. Find more about him at https://www.uu.nl/staff/RDKramer. He’s also visible on BlueSky as @anotheraspirin.bsky.social. 



Credits



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About Us

American Medieval is a podcast about the Middle Ages, but with an American twist. Each week, joined by expert guests, we’ll explore either some fascinating part of the medieval world, or some way Americans have used this period to help them understand themselves. 

After all, if America has never been modern, it’s because we’ve always been slightly medieval.

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