Introductory Remarks

Abstract

This book is aimed at students and researchers of history and economics alike. It provides a concise overview of current approaches, methods and sources in premodern economic history, focusing on the time between c. 1300 and c. 1600. To demonstrate how research in premodern economic history can be done in practice, we present sample studies that analyse different economic aspects of the Holy Roman Empire. Studies on this large area still need to be connected to the grand narratives of premodern economic history, like the rise of the West, the industrious revolution, or the evolution of a market economy. In sum, our book has a twofold objective: We want to provide an access to methods and sources for studying premodern economic history as well as give an insight into recent studies of the German premodern economy, thereby paving the path to reconnecting German premodern economic history with the grand narratives that have been developed mainly for Western European regions, like Italy, Flanders, France and England.