European Guilds: An Economic Analysis

The European Guilds explores the advantages and disadvantages of craft guilds throughout eight centuries of economic history, featuring the voices of various stakeholders and highlighting the toxic complicity between guild members and political elites.

Format: Paperback / softback
Length: 688 pages
Publication date: 15 June 2021
Publisher: Princeton University Press

From the Middle Ages to the Industrial Revolution, guilds dominated various crafts and trades, sparking ongoing debates and controversies. While some saw them as effective institutions ensuring quality and skills, others criticized their exclusivity, market manipulation, and hindrance to innovation. The European Guilds, a comprehensive analysis spanning eight centuries, delves into this question by examining thousands of guilds from 1000 to 1880. Through vivid examples and robust economic reasoning, it sheds light on the advantages and costs of guilds. Sheilagh Ogilvie's book features diverse voices, including honorable guild masters, underprivileged journeymen, exploited apprentices, corrupt officials, and outraged customers. It also tells the stories of marginalized individuals, such as women, migrants, Jews, gypsies, and bastards, who were relentlessly hunted down by guilds as illegal competitors.

The European Guilds uncovers the toxic alliance between guild members and political elites, revealing how privileged institutions and exclusive networks exploit prosperity and hinder growth. It challenges the notion that guilds were solely beneficial and highlights the need for a balanced perspective in understanding their historical significance. This book is a valuable resource for scholars, historians, and anyone interested in exploring the complex dynamics of economic and social systems during the medieval and early modern periods.

Weight: 992g
Dimension: 234 x 158 x 48 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9780691217024