From 2-5 September 2026, our team joined the 17th Conference of the European Association for Urban History. This edition was organised in the beautiful city of Barcelona, with as main theme “City Networks of Europe and Beyond”. This topic closely connects to the idea of ‘Multilevel Governance in Premodern Cities of Commerce’ that we develop through our various projects.

Marco in ‘t Veld presented an overview of late medieval urban water quality regulations in the Rhine Delta. This also serves as the starting point of the new project ‘Governing the Commons in the Rhine Delta’, in which Valérie Slijkerman has just started as a PhD-Candidate.

Maurits den Hollander delivered a presentation on good governance and urban professionals in the cities of Amsterdam and Zwolle, focusing on conflict management through appointment policies and oaths of office, part of his project ‘Professionals and the People’.

Finally, Marco and Maurits co-convened a panel on the topic of Cities as Hubs of Premodern River Transport and Trade. Among the papers was a presentation by Ester Zoomer on the Wine School of Cologne in relation to the regulation of the local staple, part of the project ‘The Rhine as Legal Entity’.

Throughout the conference, our vibrant group from Tilburg University reached out and connected with many other historians from all over the globe in order to further stimulate the study of urban legal history. A great opportunity to exchange ideas, make new connections, and strengthen our collective understanding of how cities have been governed across time and space!

Our team at the opening ceremony of the EAUH 2026 (photo: prof. dr. Louis Sicking)