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 role 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 - Crossroads of Europe from the Neolithic to the Late Middle Ages (LOCO). Under the supervision of prof. dr. Bart Lambert (VUB), prof. dr. Frederik Buylaert (UGent) and prof. dr. Thijs Lambrecht (UGent), her doctoral research investigates the circulation of ideas in the late medieval Low Countries. By studying village ordinances, the research aims to shed light on the social norms that shaped rural communities and regulated everyday life, specifically focusing on issues related to food safety and supply.