6.4 Cities fight for freedom

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6.4 Cities fight for Freedom

Culemborg got its citystatus in the year 1318. Utrecht already had it since 1122. 

Goals for this lesson

At the end of this lesson you...

• understand how cities became economically and politically important.
• understand who ruled cities in the Late Middle Ages.

Importance of cities

• Growth of trade -> cities became richer and more powerful.
• Landlords gathered more taxes from cities.

Privileges

• Cities did not like paying taxes -> asked for privileges= special rights.
• For example: the privilege to build a city wall, store goods, have a market or make your own coins.

Voorrechten

''Dingen die jij mag doen maar anderen niet''

The Medieval citywall of Culemborg

Think of a reason; why would a lord give a city privileges?

City charter

• The privileges (special rights for the city) were written down in a contract called a city charter
• The rights were always given by the landlord.

City charter of Culemborg (1318)

NL: Stadsrechten

City charter of Tiel (1371)

• The privileges (special rights for the city) were written down in a contract called a city charter
• The rights were always given by the landlord.

Medieval city of Tallin in modern day Estonia

Mediaval Cog ship

Gate of the most important Hanseatic city: Lübeck

Cities became more powerfull due to trade

Self-rule of cities

• A schepen made and upheld laws, solved crimes, kept the cities safe, collected taxes etc.
• A schout was the head of all the schepenen.
• The schout and schepenen ruled the cities.

Schout: leader of the schepenen

One of the schepenen. They also functioned as police

City People

• Free city people were called burghers
  
• There were big differences between rich and poor burghers
  
• There were 3 groups of burghers:
  

[6.4] Put the term and meaning together

Head of the schepenen

Special rights, often obtained by nobles or cities

Special contract with city rights

Free people who lived in cities

Schout

Burghers

Privileges

City charter

[6.4] Who could give cityrights to a city?

1. The inhabitants of the city
2. The landlord of the area
3. The burghers (free people) of the city
4. The leader of the local church

[6.4] Which of these statements is true?

1. Cities grew in the Late Middle Ages
2. Cities became less powerfull in the Late Middle Ages
3. Serfs had more freedom than people living in cities
4. Craftsmen were the most powerfull class in medieval cities

Most powerfull

Least powerfull

Craftsmen and shopkeepers

Common workers and beggars

Merchants and masters of a guild

Goals for this lesson

At the end of this lesson you...

• understand how cities became economically and politically important.
• understand who ruled cities in the Late Middle Ages.

After the year 1000, cities had grown and more people started to move from the countryside to towns and cities. What is the name of this process?

Put in the correct order

Cities receive city rights

The three-field system is introduced

Cities become more powerful than their landlords

Marketplaces grow to become cities 

Food surpluses are exhanged

Who would appoint the schepenen?

1. The people living within the city
2. The landlord
3. The king or count

A schepen is...

1. someone who possessed land in the city
2. someone appointed by the landlord to live in the city

1. Put the subject in the right area of power

Spiritual power

Both

Secular power

Church rules

Taxes in France

Choice  of bishops

Power to excommunicate

Trading with other countries