We are excited to announce that a new article by dr. Christian Manger and dr. Maurits den Hollander has just appeared in firstview:

“The Value of Work: Petitions and Public Servants in Zwolle, c.1550–1700.”

In this article we examine a diverse group of early modern urban public workers – from health and security to education and entertainment professionals – who functioned on the side of both the governing elite and the guild system. Using applications for office and petitions for improved pay, it explores how these workers articulated the value of their labor and negotiated recognition and remuneration.

Focusing on early modern Zwolle, our study shows how candidates for salaried public office displayed striking individual initiative, from unsolicited applications to detailed claims about their contribution to the civic community. It also highlights how officeholders framed their demands for fair pay in terms of service to the town’s common good, offering fresh insights into premodern attitudes toward work, public service, and governance.

📚 A contribution to the social history of work, early modern governance, and the history of urban professionals.

The article is freely available through this link: https://lnkd.in/eJcXecVD

dr. Christian Manger

Co-author

dr. Maurits den Hollander

Co-author