The Merchant Republics: Amsterdam, Antwerp, and Hamburg, 1648-1790

ISBN-13: 9781107426290 / Angielski / Miękka / 2017 / 374 str.

Mary Lindemann

Opis

The Merchant Republics analyzes the ways in which three major economic powerhouses - Amsterdam, Antwerp, and Hamburg - developed dual identities as "communities of commerce" and as republics over the course of the long eighteenth century (c. 1648-1790). In addition to discussing the qualities that made these three cities alike, this volume also considers the very real differences that derived from their dissimilar histories, political structures, economic fates, and cultural expectations. While all valued both their republicanism and their merchant identities, each presented a different face to the world and each made the transition from an early modern republic to a modern city in a different manner.

Recenzje

'Although not an economic history in the strictest sense, the book challenges a classic economic interpretation of the rise and fall of European commercial centers through its strong focus on perception and identity. Lindemann has written a history of the positioning of commerce in urban self-fashioning and political functioning. It is based on a rich consultation of secondary literature, showing Lindemann's excellent command of the historiography about the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany …' Tijl Vanneste, Journal of Interdisciplinary History

Spis treści

Introduction: a tale of three cities; 1. A topographical perspective; 2. Political dynamics and dilemmas; 3. Discord; 4. Merchants and republicans; 5. Virtuous commerce; 6. Virtue bankrupt; Conclusion.