City and Society in the Low Countries, 1100–1600
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City and Society in the Low Countries, 1100–1600
About this book
The Low Countries was collectively one of the earliest and most heavily urbanised societies in European history. Present-day Belgium and the Netherlands still share important common features, such as comparatively low income inequalities, high levels of per capita income, a balanced political structure, and a strong 'civil society'. This book traces the origins of this specific social model in medieval patterns of urbanisation, while also searching for explanations for the historical reproduction of social inequalities. Access to cheap inland river navigation and to the sea generated a 'river delta' urbanisation that explains the persistence of a decentralised urban economic network, marked by intensive cooperation and competition and by the absence of real metropolises. Internally as well, powerful checks and balances prevented money and power from being concentrated. Ultimately, however, the utmost defining characteristic of the Low Countries' urban cultures was located in their resilient middle classes.
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Information
Table of contents
- Cover
- Endorsements
- Half-title
- Title page
- Copyright information
- Dedication
- Table of contents
- List of figures
- List of contributors
- Acknowledgments
- 1 City and Society in the Low Countries: Urbanisation and Urban Historiography
- 2 Economic Vitality: Urbanisation, Regional Complementarity and European Interaction
- 3 Living Together in the City: Social Relationships Between Norm and Practice
- 4 ‘The Common Good’: Governance, Discipline and Political Culture
- 5 Civic Religion: Community, Identity and Religious Transformation
- 6 Urban Space: Infrastructure, Technology and Power
- 7 At Home in the City: The Dynamics of Material Culture
- 8 Education and Knowledge: Theory and Practice in an Urban Context
- 9 Epilogue: The Legacy of the Medieval City in the Low Countries
- Select Bibliography
- Index