🌐 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 city (including recommendations for further research).

✨ Now, we turn our focus to the current capital of Overijssel, Zwolle. Today famous for its gastronomy, the city was once a centre of the devotio moderna as well as home to proud magistrates. They aspired to independence as a sovereign city state, subject to no outside influences! In the Middle Ages, Zwolle participated in the Hanse, but in the early modern period it struggled to maintain its position in transit trade between Holland and Westphalia. Are you curious to learn how Zwolle’s representative council or meente elected new members using silver balls?

👉 Check out the new page about Zwolle!

dr. Maurits den Hollander

Co-author

dr. Christian Manger

Co-author