The Metamorphosis of a Medieval City: Ghent in the Age of the Arteveldes, 1302-1390

by David Nicholas

Describes the economic and social structures in fourteenth century Ghent, assesses the impact of the decline of its textile industry, and shows how the city was affected population decline and social dislocation

Genres: History

Hardcover

First published November 1, 1987

About the author

David Nicholas received the Ph.D. in 1967 from Brown University under the supervision of Bryce Lyon. He taught at the University of Nebraska—Lincoln from 1967 until 1989, then moved to Clemson University, where he retired in 2006 as Kathryn and Calhoun Lemon Professor Emeritus of History. After beginning his career as a historian of the Flemish cities in the fourteenth century, he has more recently studied broader patterns of comparative urbanization, law, and institutions and expanded his geographic focus to include late medieval Germany. He has received grants from the American Council of Learned Societies, the Social Science Research Council, the National Endowment for the Humanities, and the American Philosophical Society. Professor Nicholas has written numerous book chapters and articles in such journals as The American Historical Review, The English Historical Review, Revue Belge de Philologie et d’Histoire, Past and Present, and Annales. Économies. Sociétés. Civilisations.

Reviews

[Richard Sisson · Rating 3 out of 5]

An incredibly detailed study of the demography, society and economy of Ghent in the fourteenth century. The general thesis is that Ghent suffered a major population decline in the second half of the century - due to plagues, wars and, to a lesser extent, famines - and that although the textile sector and related industries remained the largest employer they were in deep decline. The economic base of Ghent shifted to that of a regional hub, providing services, exporting manufactured goods and re-exporting imported goods and grains. The main sources the author draws upon are militia muster rolls, court records and tax returns. Some interesting data on the militia of Ghent. Fascinating but very, very detailed. Not for the faint hearted.