What do you think?
Rate this book
Nuremberg in the sixteenth century: City politics and life between Middle Ages and modern times
German life on the eve of the modern era
- GenresHistory
305 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1966
2 people are currently reading
13 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 of 1 review
Read
January 13, 2026Gerald Strauss dug deep into vaults of history here to reconstruct all aspects of Reformation-era life in Nuremberg. Some of my takeaways included:
(1) The byzantine structure of Nuremberg's government, whose very rules and procedures the city council took pains to conceal from outsiders. Its official status was that of an "imperial free city," meaning it was independent of the authority of any regional nobility. Instead, Nuremberg owed allegiance directly to the "Holy Roman emperor" which in those days meant the Habsburgs of Austria. But that allegiance was, in fact, more formal than actual. In effect, Nuremberg was an autonomous aristocratic republic within the mosaic of semi-independent German city states, governed according to its own ancient laws and proud traditions.
(2) The imposing strength of its fortifications; Nuremberg was more than capable of defending its sovereignty against the territorial ambitions of neighboring German princes. Even a glance at the thick high walls that surrounded the city was enough to discourage most aggressive intentions.
(3) Nuremberg's surprisingly well-organized and effective system for the distribution of alms and shelter to the poor. The motive was Christian piety, but the means was the vast wealth Nuremberg accumulated as an epicenter of commerce and industry. Poverty was rampant in sixteenth century Germany, but the poor were probably better off in Nuremberg than anywhere else. It's is hard not to see this charitable system as a deep forerunner of the social safety nets of modern European social democracies. Perhaps it's no coincidence that the world's first welfare state would arise in Germany.
(4) Nuremberg's equally surprising toleration of prostitution, which despite the aforementioned religious influence on the society, was legal, if strictly regulated, and taxed.
(5) The filth and squalor that inevitably accompanied city life before modern waste management, indoor plumbing, or even germ theory. Nuremberg may well have been orderly and clean for its time, but that's just an indictment of how filthy and chaotic the sixteenth century was. Strauss's descriptions of the prevailing unsanitary conditions were enough to turn my stomach.
Nuremberg in the Sixteenth Century is an obscure academic book not intended for a popular audience. I would only recommend it those looking to dive deep into German social history. Or to historical novelists seeking imagistic period details. They should grab a copy with both hands.
In the spring of 2004, I got to hike around Nuremberg for a couple of hours during a layover between trains from Prague to Frankfort. I remember being charmed and impressed by the sheer quantity of historical architecture that had survived all the way the twenty first century. Later I learned the disappointing truth: it really hadn't. Most of it had been destroyed by Allied air raids during W.W. II, if not earlier. What I saw that day were mostly artful recreations.
Still, it was a glorious illusion while it lasted. At least ninety-nine out of one hundred Americans will immediately think of war crimes trials in conjunction with "Nuremberg." But I don't think I spared even a fleeting thought for the Nazis during my visit. My mind was on the German Renaissance.
(1) The byzantine structure of Nuremberg's government, whose very rules and procedures the city council took pains to conceal from outsiders. Its official status was that of an "imperial free city," meaning it was independent of the authority of any regional nobility. Instead, Nuremberg owed allegiance directly to the "Holy Roman emperor" which in those days meant the Habsburgs of Austria. But that allegiance was, in fact, more formal than actual. In effect, Nuremberg was an autonomous aristocratic republic within the mosaic of semi-independent German city states, governed according to its own ancient laws and proud traditions.
(2) The imposing strength of its fortifications; Nuremberg was more than capable of defending its sovereignty against the territorial ambitions of neighboring German princes. Even a glance at the thick high walls that surrounded the city was enough to discourage most aggressive intentions.
(3) Nuremberg's surprisingly well-organized and effective system for the distribution of alms and shelter to the poor. The motive was Christian piety, but the means was the vast wealth Nuremberg accumulated as an epicenter of commerce and industry. Poverty was rampant in sixteenth century Germany, but the poor were probably better off in Nuremberg than anywhere else. It's is hard not to see this charitable system as a deep forerunner of the social safety nets of modern European social democracies. Perhaps it's no coincidence that the world's first welfare state would arise in Germany.
(4) Nuremberg's equally surprising toleration of prostitution, which despite the aforementioned religious influence on the society, was legal, if strictly regulated, and taxed.
(5) The filth and squalor that inevitably accompanied city life before modern waste management, indoor plumbing, or even germ theory. Nuremberg may well have been orderly and clean for its time, but that's just an indictment of how filthy and chaotic the sixteenth century was. Strauss's descriptions of the prevailing unsanitary conditions were enough to turn my stomach.
Nuremberg in the Sixteenth Century is an obscure academic book not intended for a popular audience. I would only recommend it those looking to dive deep into German social history. Or to historical novelists seeking imagistic period details. They should grab a copy with both hands.
In the spring of 2004, I got to hike around Nuremberg for a couple of hours during a layover between trains from Prague to Frankfort. I remember being charmed and impressed by the sheer quantity of historical architecture that had survived all the way the twenty first century. Later I learned the disappointing truth: it really hadn't. Most of it had been destroyed by Allied air raids during W.W. II, if not earlier. What I saw that day were mostly artful recreations.
Still, it was a glorious illusion while it lasted. At least ninety-nine out of one hundred Americans will immediately think of war crimes trials in conjunction with "Nuremberg." But I don't think I spared even a fleeting thought for the Nazis during my visit. My mind was on the German Renaissance.
Displaying 1 of 1 review