6.4 Cities fight for freedom

• Geschiedenis
• Middelbare school
• havo, vwo
• Leerjaar 1

6.4 Cities fight for Freedom

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

This was the cityhall of Culemborg in the past

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.

Planning for this lesson

• Checking the homework
• Instruction about 6.4 Cities fight for freedom
• Discussing the Assignment about 6.1 and 6.3

[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

[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

Planning for this lesson

• Checking the homework
• Instruction about 6.4 Cities fight for freedom
• Discussing the Assignment about 6.1 and 6.3

6.4 Cities fight for Freedom

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

This was the cityhall of Culemborg in the past

Importance of cities

• Growth of trade -> cities became richer and more powerfull.
• 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

The FourLander coin (C. 1468-1474)

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 was someone who possessed land in the city.
• 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:
  

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.

Homework

• April 6th: Small test 6.1, 6.3 and 6.4 Lessonups
• I will check 3 plenda's at random.

Planning for this lesson

• Checking the homework
• Instruction about 6.4 Cities fight for freedom
• Discussing the Assignment about 6.1 and 6.3