Between 1213 and 1484, numerous towns came into being in the counties of Holland and Zeeland, resulting in the rapid transformation of Holland in particular, into a “landscape of towns” where a... Show moreBetween 1213 and 1484, numerous towns came into being in the counties of Holland and Zeeland, resulting in the rapid transformation of Holland in particular, into a “landscape of towns” where a large proportion of the county’s population – well above the average for that period - came to live. The research forming the basis of this book aimed at establishing the effect of the granting of town privileges (or city rights) with regard to the creation of these towns from both a historical and a legal-historical perspective. This was done along three lines. First, the historical circumstances accompanying the granting of specific town privileges have been assessed. Secondly, it has been established whether the granting of town privileges had been used as an instrument for attaining certain political goals and if so, in what manner. The third line was to discover which party - either Count or citizens - could be seen as the main instigator behind the granting of these privileges. This research subsequently focused on town privilege affiliations and on the hierarchical relations between town privileges. Finally, the contents of the town privilege charters were subjected to a legal-comparative analysis. Show less
