Paragraph 6.3 - The development of new cities - 2023

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• Middelbare school
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• Leerjaar 1

Today

Paragraph 6.3 - The development of new cities 

At the end of the lesson you will know/be able to…

• give a quick summary of the Early Middle Ages in changes in trade and people
• how the cities started to grow in the Late Middle (again)
• how get information from a source 
• how epidemics can become pandemics even in the Middle Ages 

Before we enter the Late Middle Ages

• In the Early Middle very few could read and write (basically only monks and nuns, not even all the nobility) 
• Due to this, the church has had a lot of influence on the information that we have from that time 
• Coins were hardly used as payment in Europe. You bartered mainly (see chapter 2, TB 31) 
• Travel was dangerous, but not uncommon. It was, as far as we can gather, mainly done by water, which was safer and quicker

How will a virus succesfully spread and lead to a pandemic?

1. The virus needs to be airborn (spread via the air)
2. The virus is airborn and people live in close proximity
3. The virus is transmitted by close physical contact

Try to think of a reason why it was possible to move back to the cities at the start of the Late Middle Ages (1000 AD)

Heavy iron plow

More 'momom'

1. Read 'Increased food production' (TB 134)

2. Write down on paper three ways to increase food production 

Click on the cause that you consider the most important for urbanisation to take place

Farmers use new tools and farming methods, so less people are needed to work the land

Farmers use new tools and farming methods, therefore foodproduction increases

Forests and swamps are turned into arable land. Because of this food production increases

It should all sound familiar. Where did we encounter this process before?

1. Prehistory
2. Antiquity
3. Early Middle Ages

So... if this is repeat and play, what do we see next?

1. Specialisation
2. Travel
3. Central government
4. Voting

Craftsmen and guilds

• In order to control the training of new craftsmen, the quality of the products  (and prices of products) guilds were organised
• Guilds were associations of people who had the same job
  
• A guild also provided help to its members if somebody got injured, or died
• And guilds were also clubs where members met, discussed business and held (religious) celebrations together

The tailors guild

The cloth guild

The bakers' guild

The Hanseatic League

• Most cities had a square where daily markets were held
• The biggest market was the annual market, which lasted a few weeks (only in large cities) 
• Many traders travelled from fair to fair

• A group of cities in Europe worked together to get more trade
• They called their association the Hanseatic League

Read the source

“We wish to let all people from Hamburg know that we have made an agreement with our friends, the citizens of Lübeck. The new silver coins which are now being minted in our city, and likewise in Lübeck, should weigh thirty-nine grams less than two silver coins to the mark. To make sure the new coins will last, the silver shall be mixed with half an ounce of copper.

Our friends from Lübeck have equally agreed that they will not mint any other new silver coins except these. We have agreed that we will not mint any other new silver coins without their consent. If it should happen that both our landlords, the Counts, should die, the citizens of Lübeck shall not hold us under suspicion.

To make sure that this agreement between us and the citizens of Lübeck may not be changed or broken, we have presented the citizens of Lübeck with this charter.”

Explain in your own words what was agreed between the cities of Lübeck and Hamburg.

Can you give a modern example of such an agreement?

How did the citizens of Lübeck and Hamburg both profit from this agreement?

Today

Paragrapgh 6.4 - Cities fight for freedom

City rights 

Privileges and city rights

Of course, cities did not like paying high taxes. They discussed this with their landlords or bishops. In return for their financial support, they wanted a number of privileges. These were special rights, such as the permission to organise markets, store goods, build or expand city walls or receive exemption from military service. It was even better if they received a city charter. This was a special contract with city rights. City rights gave cities some degree of self-government. They were allowed to uphold and create their own laws.

Old cities and new cities

Most city charters were granted by landlords, because they needed the money.

At first, each city had its own unique city charter. This caused many differences between cities. As the number of cities with city charters increased, landlords strived to give new cities the same set of rights as older cities.

The city rights of the oldest or most important cities in a region were commonly used as an example for the rights of other cities in that region. If there were legal problems about a certain law, the older city could be visited to request an explanation for that law.

What were the advantages of city rights for the people of the city?

1. They could get more money out of the lord
2. They could pay for their own events, like a celebration for the Virgin Mary
3. They could organise their own markets or build city walls
4. They could pay for their own armies

What were the advantages of city rights for the landlords?

1. They had a wealthy city that could pay a lot of taxes
2. More rights meant more wealth and therefor more taxes

What is a privilege?

1. Mrs. Den Boer's teacher chair
2. Your student chairs
3. The open windows during winter
4. The posters on the wall of the classroom

What would you prefer?

A privilege from the landlord, because...

A city charter from the landlord, because...

A city could be considered a third power in the medieval society besides the king and landlord. Why?

1. Both the king and the vassel could claim the loyalty of the city
2. The city could start an independent state
3. Whoever had the support of the cities could raise a larger army

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

Count Floris of Holland

• The Count of Holland who is most well-known for granting city rights during the Middle Ages was Floris V (1254-1296). Floris was very popular among the peasants. He gave them swamps that could be turned into farming land. Using ditches and dykes he also reclaimed land from the sea. Some of this was done at the expense of the nobles. The West-Frisians, the people who lived in the North of Holland at that time, even called him ‘Der keerlen God’: God of the peasants. After a failed attempt to conquer the West-Frisians, he gave the local peasants many privileges. The landlords hated him for that. To increase his territory, Floris worked together with peasants and cities. They fought many landlords. In return, Floris granted many cities such as Gouda city rights.
  

In 1296, three rebellious landlords captured Floris and locked him up in Muiderslot Castle. His kidnappers were afraid of the angry people and tried to move to a safer place. A large group of angry peasants stopped them and tried to help Floris escape. Their attempt failed: Floris was killed.Make exercise 6 

Why was Count Floris V kidnapped by other landlords?

1. Count Floris V granted city rights to many cities. The landlords lost influence and income because of this.
2. Count Floris became too powerful due to his marriage to the duchess of Utrecht.
3. The other landlords were playing 'Hunted' with Floris and they found him

Why did peasants try to help him escape? In your explanation, use the phrase ‘Keerlen God’. (Keerlen = peasants)

Two sources

In 1190, Count Philips of Flanders, granted the following privileges to the people of Kortrijk:

“I grant that all serfs who stay in the city of Kortrijk shall be given their freedom. In return, they shall have to pay two silver coins tax to the Church each year, six coins for marriage and twelve coins when they die.

If one of my serfs who does not live in this city, shall move to Kortrijk, he shall be free to do so and live freely among the burghers.”

In 1252, the Countess of Flanders, granted the following privilege to the serfs in Flanders:

“All serfs on our manors are given their freedom. Their homes on the manors will, from now on, be their own property. We free them from their peasant obligations. In return, all serfs shall have to pay us three silver coins per year. Each woman shall have to pay one silver coin per year.”

Do you think that Philips’ privileges caused more or less people to move to Kortrijk? Explain your answer.

More

Less

What did the Countess of Flanders try to prevent by giving the serfs on the manors their freedom?

”The development of cities also gave the people in the countryside more freedom.” Use the sources to back up this statement.