-
Dr. Marco in ‘t Veld (Tilburg University), dr. Bart Holterman (Forschungsstelle für die Geschichte der Hanse und des Ostseeraums), and dr. Maurits den Hollander (Tilburg University) warmly invite all academics interested in medieval river trade in an urban context to submit their paper proposals for our main session (nr. 3) at the EAUH conference in…
-
🏛️ Palace of Commerce uncovers what happened when fortunes crumbled in seventeenth-century Amsterdam – even for Rembrandt! Behind a marble door in today’s Royal Palace, insolvent debtors faced not shame, but a second chance. In the Chamber of Insolvent and Abandoned Estates, commissioners and their staff worked to resolve financial collapse with surprising nuance. 📖…
-
Dr. Maurits den Hollander and prof. em. Bob Wessels (Leiden University) recently presented the first copy their book Palace of Commerce to Niels Breukers, Head of Public Opening & Activities Dutch Royal Palaces, in the magnificent Citizen’s Hall of Amsterdam’s Royal Palace (photo: Jan Wind). Tilburg Law School published a news item about the book…
-
🏛️ Palace of Commerce reveals the hidden world behind the marble walls of Amsterdam’s seventeenth-century city hall. Enjoy the decorations in the Assurantiekamer, used to oversee maritime insurance, cargo damages, and average disputes. Full of iconography tied to shipping and the risks in maritime trade! 📖 Watch the trailer and sail along with Bob Wessels…
-
🏛️Palace of Commerce takes you inside Amsterdam’s Royal Palace — once the seat of the city’s true rulers. In the seventeenth century, the Royal Palace was the eighth wonder of the world. Its central Citizen’s Hall reflects Amsterdam’s aspirations as a city of global significance, built on peace, justice, and pure economic strength. 📖 Watch…
-
🏛️ Palace of Commerce takes you inside Amsterdam’s Royal Palace — once the seat of the city’s true rulers, whose actions had impact all over the world. In the seventeenth century, four powerful burgomasters governed a global empire from this very building. Backed by wealth, justice, and diplomacy, they shaped the Dutch Republic — and…
-
🏛️ Palace of Commerce takes you inside Amsterdam’s Royal Palace — once the world’s most glorious city hall! In the seventeenth century, it was a magnificent center of governance, justice, and global commerce. Our book uncovers the hidden stories behind its marble walls — from merchant-regents to anonymous citizens. 📖 Watch the trailer and join…
-
🌐 As part of our research project on multilevel governance in medieval and early modern commercial cities, we are expanding our website with a series of short vignettes on the legal histories of key trading hubs. In each of these introductions we explore the organisation of urban governance in relation to the economy of the…
-
🌐 As part of our research project on multilevel governance in medieval and early modern commercial cities, we are expanding our website with a series of short vignettes on the legal histories of key trading hubs. In each of these introductions we explore the organisation of urban governance in relation to the economy of the…
-
In his seminal work, Cities of Commerce, Oscar Gelderblom has famously argued that urban competition was the driving force behind economically efficient institutions.[1] This blog post examines the different competitive strategies developed by the ‘great skippers’ guilds’ through their admission requirements and further regulations in Amsterdam and Rotterdam. Despite the crucial role of inland navigation,…