Peasants, Lords, and State: Comparing Peasant Conditions in Scandinavia and the Eastern Alpine Region, 1000-1750

Erscheinungsjahr 2020
ISBN: 978-90-04-42970-3
Verlag: Brill

Buch, Englisch, Band 89, 376 Seiten, Format (B × H): 155 mm x 235 mm, Gewicht: 701 g

Reihe: The Northern World

Peasants, Lords and State: Comparing Peasant Conditions in Scandinavia and the Eastern Alpine Region, 1000-1750 challenges the once widespread view, rooted in the historical thinking of the nineteenth century, that Scandinavian and especially Norwegian peasants enjoyed a particular “peasant freedom” compared to their Continental counterparts. Markers of this supposed freedom were believed to be peasants’ widespread ownership of land, extensive control over land and resources, and comprehensive judicial influence through the institution of the thing. The existence of slaves and unfree people was furthermore considered a marginal phenomenon.

The contributors compare Scandinavia with the eastern Alpine region, two regions comprising fertile plains as well as rugged mountainous areas. This offers an opportunity to analyse the effect of topographical factors without neglecting the influence of manorial and territorial power structures over the long time-span of c.1000 to 1750.

With contributions by Markus Cerman, Tore Iversen, Michael Mitterauer, John Ragnar Myking, Josef Riedmann, Werner Rösener, Helge Salvesen, and Stefan Sonderegger.

Autoren/Hrsg.

Weitere Mitwirkende

Iversen, Tore

Myking, John Ragnar

Sonderegger, Stefan

Fachgebiete

• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Geschichtliche Themen Wirtschaftsgeschichte
• Wirtschaftswissenschaften Volkswirtschaftslehre Volkswirtschaftslehre Allgemein Geschichte der VWL
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Geschichtswissenschaft Allgemein
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Alte Geschichte & Archäologie Vor- und Frühgeschichte, prähistorische Archäologie
• Wirtschaftswissenschaften Wirtschaftswissenschaften Wirtschaftsgeschichte
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Geschichtliche Themen Kultur- und Ideengeschichte
• Geisteswissenschaften Geschichtswissenschaft Geschichtliche Themen Mentalitäts- und Sozialgeschichte

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Preface

Acknowledgements

List of Figures

Notes on Contributors

Part 1: Introduction

1 Historiographical and Methodological Reflections

Tore Iversen and John Ragnar Myking

Part 2: Comparing Scandinavia and the Eastern Alpine Region

2 Slavery and Unfreedom from the Middle Ages to the Beginning of the Early Modern Period

Tore Iversen

3 Leasehold and Freehold c. 1200–1750

John Ragnar Myking

4 Peasant Participation in Thing and Local Assemblies c. 1000–1750

Tore Iversen and John Ragnar Myking

5 Summary and Conclusion

Tore Iversen and John Ragnar Myking

Part 3: The Portrayal of Peasants in National Historiography

6 The Historian as Architect of Nations: A Historiographical Analysis of the Norwegian Peasantry as Carrier of National Ideology and Identity in the Medieval and Early Modern Period

Helge Salvesen

7 The Participation of the Tyrolean Peasantry in the Government of the Country: Theory – Reality – Ideology

Josef Riedmann

8 Peasant Ideology in German Historiography

Werner Rösener

9 Switzerland – A ‘Peasant State’?

Stefan Sonderegger

Part 4: Appendix

The Sub-peasant Strata in the Late Medieval and Early Modern Eastern Alpine Region

Markus Cerman and Michael Mitterauer

Active Manorial Lords and Peasant Farmers in the Economic Life of the Late Middle Ages: Results from New Swiss and German Research

Stefan Sonderegger

Glossary

Bibliography

Index

Über Autor(innen)

Tore Iversen, Dr. Art (1994), Professor emeritus in medieval history at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology. He has published monographs and articles on medieval slavery, property and land tenancy in a Scandinavian and European context.

John Ragnar Myking, Dr. Art (2003), Professor emeritus in medieval and early modern history at Western Norwegian University of Applied Sciences. He has published monographs and articles on land tenancy in a European context and local and regional history.

Stefan Sonderegger, Dr. (1994), Professor in medieval history at the University of Zurich and Head of the City Archive of St.Gallen, Switzerland. His research focuses on economic history and the editing of documents.