Papers by Jerzy Piekalski
Kwartalnik Historii Kultury Materialnej, 2020
Zasadniczym celem podjętym przez autorów artykułu jest prześledzenie postępującego w XIX w. kryzy... more Zasadniczym celem podjętym przez autorów artykułu jest prześledzenie postępującego w XIX w. kryzysu młynarstwa opartego na energii koła wodnego. Proces głębokich zmian prowadzących do zaniku młynów wodnych w tradycyjnym kształcie był efektem wprowadzenia nowych źródeł energii. Zjawisko to jest zagadnieniem z zakresu historii powszechnej i nie wymaga dokładnego wyjaśnienia. Natomiast wiedza o tempie i zakresie zmian w wymiarze regionalnym jest skromna. Niewiele wiadomo o przebiegu powolnej modernizacji urządzeń wodnych, który odbywał się ustawicznie od średniowiecza i o próbach dostosowania się do nowych warunków w fazie postępującej industrializacji. Do tej pory nie zajmowano się tym problemem szczegółowo, a jak się wydaje, jest on fascynujący i zawiera wiele wątków odnoszących się do rodzajów konstrukcji dawnych młynów i ich jakości, źródeł pozyskiwania i nabywania kamieni młyńskich oraz poziomu życia młynarzy, widzianego przez pryzmat kultury materialnej. Zagadnieniem wartym uwagi są również trwałe przekształcenia krajobrazu kulturowego-powstałe w związku z infrastrukturą młynów liczne groble, kanały i rozległe niekiedy stawy 1. Analizę tak ujętego zjawiska gospodarczego, ale też kulturowego, przeprowadzono na przykładzie losów jednego z młynów we wsi Bystrzyca w pobliżu miasteczka Wleń, na południowym zachodzie Dolnego Śląska (ryc. 1). Badania oparto na metodach i źródłach kilku dyscyplin, głównie archeologii, historii i geografii, sumowanych w obrębie subdyscypliny określanej jako archeologia historyczna. Na bazę źródłową złożyły się lokalne przekazy pisane, archiwalia kartograficzne oraz wyniki podjętych w 2019 r. badań wykopaliskowych wraz z prospekcją nieinwazyjną. Studia nad dawnym młynarstwem wodnym prowadzone są w Europie i na świecie, a dotyczą różnorodnych wątków badawczych. Zaliczają się do nich nie tylko zmiany w technologii samych urządzeń, lecz również studia krajobrazowe lub nad życiem codziennym młynarzy i ich rodzin. Wśród badaczy zajmujących się tematem są historycy, analizujący uwarunkowania prawne lokowania młynów, aspekty techniczne lub stosunki własnościowe 2 , geografowie, badający wpływ dawnego młynarstwa na przekształcenia krajobrazowe i sieć wodną 3 , języko
Archaeologia Historica Polona, 2014
Zarys treści. Podstawą źródłową artykułu są materiały z badań placu Nowy Targ we wschodniej częśc... more Zarys treści. Podstawą źródłową artykułu są materiały z badań placu Nowy Targ we wschodniej części Starego Miasta we Wrocławiu. Na powierzchni 40 arów odsłonięto świadectwa przemian zachodzących tam od fazy protomiejskiej, przez lokację miasta, wytyczenie placu i jego funkcjonowanie przez pięć stuleci.
Archeologické rozhledy LXXI–2019, 2019
The aim of the paper is to evaluate the usefulness of dendrochronological analyses in studying co... more The aim of the paper is to evaluate the usefulness of dendrochronological analyses in studying complex stratigraphic sequences. The problem is discussed basing on the example of Wrocław, the main town of historic Silesia, where the thickness of medieval layers containing wood ranges between 3 and 5 m. The first attempts to date them using dendrochronology were made at the end of the 1980s. Some dates, or their short series, were then used as a basis for far-reaching conclusions regarding the chronology of the beginnings of settlement or breakthrough events. The preliminary stage of dendrochronological analyses and uncritical acceptance of interpretations ended in Wrocław with the excavations carried out in 2000. Longer series of dendrochronological dates have become one of the basic tools for dating complex sequences. The results of stratigraphic research and the outcomes of dendrochronological analyses were correlated being aware of limitations set by both categories of sources and methods of their analysis. It was stated that giving up on an in-depth critique of dendrological samples as a category of sources can result in a considerable distortion of the acquired results. dendrochronology-method value-stratigraphy-Middle Ages-town Cílem článku je hodnocení využitelnosti dendrochronologie při studiu složitých stratigrafických situací, a to na příkladu slezské Vratislavi, kde středověké terény obsahující dřevo dosahují mocnosti 3-5 m. První pokusy o datování archeologických vrstev pomocí dendrochronologie proběhly na konci 80. let 20. století. Některá data nebo jejich krátké série byly využity pro dalekosáhlé závěry o chronologii počátků osídlení či přelomových událostí. Tato etapa poznamenaná nekritickou interpretací získaných dat skončila ve Vratislavi v souvislosti s archeologickými odkryvy v r. 2000. Základním nástrojem pro datování složitých situací se staly početnější řady dendrochronologických dat. Stratigrafická pozorování byla korelována s dendrochronologickými daty s vědomím limitů obou pramenných kategorií a příslušných metod. Opo-menutí důkladné kritiky dendrologických vzorků coby samostatné kategorie poznávacích pramenů může vyústit v závažné pokřivení výpovědi dendrochronologické analýzy. dendrochronologie-zhodnocení metody-stratigrafie-středověk-město
NIALL BRADY & CLAUDIA THEUNE (ed), SETTLEMENT CHANGE ACROSS MEDIEVAL EUROPE OLD PARADIGMS AND NEW VISTAS, 2019
Located far away from the main communication roads, the mountain village named Kopaniec (German S... more Located far away from the main communication roads, the mountain village named Kopaniec (German Seifershau, south-western Poland, Izera Mountains) avoided destruction and depopulation during the Thirty Year’s War (1618‑1648), unlike all other Silesian villages. After this period the village developed intensively. New buildings and residential plots were founded on previously unused forest areas, at a height of 700 m a.s.l. Settlement pattern changes within fields and plots with residential buildings are visible today. The boundaries of former fields can be recognized by the remains of stone walls, which in Poland is a relatively rare occurrence. Findings from LIDAR, GIS studies, and the traditional excavation method were used in developing a description of the village in terms of its natural environment and its internal structure and evolution, starting in the late medieval period and continuing until modern times. The purpose of the study was to record features of the historical cultural landscape created in a specific mountain setting. The deserted domestic enclosure no. 143 in Kopaniec is highlighted as an example that clearly shows the distinctions between late medieval and modern husbandry systems.
Śląskie Sprawozdania Archeologiczne, 2018
This article describes preliminary archaeological investigation results of one of the residential... more This article describes preliminary archaeological investigation results of one of the residential
blocks belonging to the east part of old town in Wrocław, Poland. All historical buildings built at this
site from the Middle Ages to the first half of 20th century were destroyed through bombing in 1945.
During excavations, archaeologists tracked settler changes from the beginning of the 11th century,
development of merchant settlements, predating the founding the city on Magdeburg law organizing
residential block close to Nowy Targ in the second half of the 13th century. Well preserved layers,
including houses and sanitary space remains, made it possible to recognize the plot organization
changes during the aforementioned period. A vast amount of artifacts were found (including pottery,
glass and small metal finds from different periods), which showcased the rich material culture
of former burghers of Wrocław. The complex analysis of excavation results will be elaborated on in
the next few years.
Historical Archaeology in Central Europe, ed. Natascha Mehler , 2013
The aim of this outline is to analyse sanitary status of a post-medieval city of lowland central ... more The aim of this outline is to analyse sanitary status of a post-medieval city of lowland central Europe. This subject was discussed using Wroclaw, the main centre of Silesia, Poland as a case study. Special focus is placed on the relationship between man and the environment, including the intensity of change caused by man.
International Journal of Historical Archaeology, 2016
The aim of the study is to reconstruct the evolution of the cultural landscape of a settlement mi... more The aim of the study is to reconstruct the evolution of the cultural landscape of a settlement microregion located in Central-Eastern Europe, in the Sudetes Foothills. The microregion selected for the research, Wleń, is a good example to study and describe phenomena that are also typical of other similar administrative and economic territories in this cultural zone during the medieval period and the modern era. Archaeological evidence, written and cartographic sources, Airborne Laser Scanning, Geographical Information System and geomagnetic research were used to reconstruct the development and forms of particular elements of the settlement and the economic structure.
Archäologie Mittel- Alter Neuzeit Zukunft Festschrift für Ingolf Ericsson, 2017
Die Entstehung der privaten Schlösser trat in Schlesien erst im 14. Jahrhundert ein, nach der Ein... more Die Entstehung der privaten Schlösser trat in Schlesien erst im 14. Jahrhundert ein, nach der Einverleibung des Landes in das Königreich
Böhmen und nach der Liquidierung der herzoglichen Regalien. Schloss Kynast/Chojnik in den Sudeten ist ein Beispiel für dieses Phänomen.
Es wurde in der zweiten Hälfte des 14. Jahrhunderts erbaut, und sein Besitzer war ein Ritter Gotsche Schoff, der Vorläufer einer adeligen
Familie Schaffgotsch. Es ist eine typische Höhenburg, die die natürlichen Verteidigungsmerkmale der Region ausnutzt. Der Wohnkomfort
war jedoch gering. Dennoch wurde die Burg im späten Mittelalter und in der nachmittelalterlichen Zeit als die Wiege der Familie gehegt.
Die Funktion als Schaffgotscher Wohnsitz hatten damals jedoch andere Burgen und Schlösser.
VON DER WESER IN DIE WELT FESTSCHRIFT FÜR HANS-GEORG STEPHAN, 2015
The aim of the article is to point out some questions and problems regarding the transformation o... more The aim of the article is to point out some questions and problems regarding the transformation of the cultural landscape of East-Central Europe, with particular emphasis on Polish lands in the Middle Ages. The main attention was paid to the effects of colonization and cultural influences transposed from the west in the 13th century. At the same time, an attempt was made to refer to the role of "native" and "foreign" substrates in shaping the image of the civilization of the late Middle Ages. Observations of changes in villages, cities, elite headquarters, mining together with accompanying settlements, crafts and related material culture objects, both utilitarian and symbolic ones were carried out.
Offa 63/64, 2006
The aim of the work is to analyze the function and social affiliation of residential towers in ci... more The aim of the work is to analyze the function and social affiliation of residential towers in cities in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries in Central Europe. The towers built in the cities of medieval Italy and Central Europe were characterized by considerable quantitative and formal diversity. Most of them were in the south, and moving to the north their number was decreasing. In Rome there were about 900 towers in the 13th century. In Tuscany and northern Italy, the frequency of occurrence was similar, but the smaller scale of cities means that the number of towers was also lower. It is assumed that most of the towers created in the10-12th century had a residential character, and among the younger ones, reaching a height of up to 100 m, the representative function prevailed. In the cities of southern Germany and the Rhineland there were much less towers than in Italy, and in the Low German zone and in Central and Eastern Europe their presence, in the form as in the South, is not confirmed. Moving north and east, and thus also to the Czech Republic and Poland, the form of towers was also reduced. The thesis presented in the older literature on the Mediterranean origin of residential towers in the cities of Central Europe was not confirmed in further studies. However, the concept that links towers in cities with the representatives of the higher social classes there - knights, princely officials and church dignitaries seems justified.
P. Nocuń, A. Przybyła-Dumin, K. Fokt (red.), Wieś miniona lecz obecna. Ślady dawnych wsi i ich badania, Chorzów, 2018
Ochrona Zabytków, 2017
The article concerns research carried out since two seasons ago in the region of Kopaniec village... more The article concerns research carried out since two seasons ago in the region of Kopaniec village situated in the Jizera Mountains. For the research, scholars selected a household which was abandoned after 1945, where relics in the form of walls and extremities of the enclosure in the form of a wide stone wall have been preserved. The building was most likely constructed in the 18th century and combined residential and agricultural functions. On the basis of the conducted research, it can be concluded that the building was not inhabited after 1945 and was destroyed.
Śląskie Sprawozdania Archeologiczne, 2015
The purpose of the study focusing on the village of Kopaniec in south-western Poland (Izera Mount... more The purpose of the study focusing on the village of Kopaniec in south-western Poland (Izera Mountains) was to record features of the historical culture landscape formed in a specific mountain setting. The findings from LIDAR, GIS studies and the traditional excavation method were used in developing a description of the village within its natural environment, its internal structure and evolution, started during the late medieval period and continuing until 1945. A special focus of the study was the deserted domestic enclosure no. 143.
International Journal of Historical Archaeology, 2019
This paper is the first comprehensive and interdisciplinary presentation of stone walls in the Ce... more This paper is the first comprehensive and interdisciplinary presentation of stone walls in the Central European mountains from the perspective of landscape archaeology based on field surveys and analysis of cartographic and LiDAR data. The stone walls in the Izera Mountains of southwestern Poland are the largest ones in the region, as they represent a rare case of fully enclosed fields in the Sudetes. The niches constructed within the walls are not found anywhere else. The paper discusses the origins, functions, chronology, construction techniques, spatial distribution, and diversity of stone walls and also their significance for the cultural landscape, which was subject to substantial land abandonment after World War 2. Stone walls marked field boundaries, protected arable lands from erosion and their niches provided storage places, and provisional dwellings. Nowadays they are spectacular remnants of past land-use and unique features of the regional cultural landscape.
The Rythm of the City Development at the Cultural Frontier Study of Nowy Targ Square Zone in Wrocław, 2018
The Rythm of the City Development at the Cultural Frontier
Study of Nowy Targ Square Zone in Wroc... more The Rythm of the City Development at the Cultural Frontier
Study of Nowy Targ Square Zone in Wrocław
The purpose of the research carried out by the authors
of this book was to reconstruct the process of creating
a city - the Silesian metropolis on a cultural borderland,
in the sphere of influence from the East and
the West. Our intention was to trace as wide a range of
subjects as possible. Materials from archaeological excavations
in Wrocław were mainly used as the source
database, with particular emphasis on excavations carried
out on Nowy Targ Square. We wanted to gain a
reflection of the medieval image of the city in its then
reality. Our intention is to engage in scientific discussion,
while simultaneously providing valuable reading
for a non-expert.
Wrocław belongs to the centres formed by a long
and complicated development. In modern research
thesis of forming the city at a certain point on the timeline
is not presented. This does not mean, however, that
this development was uniform. On the contrary, it was
marked by events and decisions as well as legal and spatial
regulations that changed the structure of the city,
often in a fundamental manner. In the case of Wrocław,
the implementation of spatial changes was conditioned
by a compromise between the needs of the duke and
the municipality and the specific natural conditions.
The decisions and solutions adopted earlier were also
important. We can only speculate that the location of
the stronghold on the river’s island was due to its natural
defensive elements, perhaps a need to protect the
crossing of the Odra River. The unintended consequence
of the decision taken in the mid-10th century
was that a large city developed in the later Middle Ages
in this location. Therefore, the possibilities of siting
buildings in the natural environment that would have
been important for the city and its inhabitants were
limited. The polycentric, proto-urban settlement complex
developed in the 12th century around the central
stronghold - on the islands and on both banks of the
river. A new element of this structure, decisive for the
future shape of the city, was a legally separate burgher
municipality, constituted in Wrocław before the mid-
13th century. The settlers from the Empire who formed
this municipality occupied an area free of buildings,
located to the west of the existing pre-incorporation
craft and trade settlement. The appearance of this new
settlement was a sign of the coming times. It reflected
a change in economic and legal conditions, ending the
possibility of the further development of the proto-urban
settlement and marking a new stage of Central Europe
urbanization.
The development of the communal city took place
in several stages involving the absorption of the old settlement,
the occupation of the land to the south and
west of the original range, and the rise of the New Town,
incorporated later into a common structure. There is a
specific relationship in Wrocław of the old settlement
to the newly organized city. Excavations on Nowy Targ
Square showed that both settlements functioned in parallel
for several decades. Both areas were surrounded by
a common strip of fortifications, later referred to as the
inner one. The old settlement had an irregular network
of streets and its axis was a street stretching between
the crossing to Sand Island and St Adalbert’s Church.
The centre of the new, regularly planned settlement was
a large rectangular marketplace. They differed in their
separate legal and fiscal solutions and were linked by
strong ducal power.
Commercialization of the economy was an essential
part of the transformation of Central and Eastern
European cities during the high Middle Ages. It seems
Summary
1214
that the legal changes that took place then were directed
at the regulation and fiscal control of economic processes
taking place quite independently, in line with the
booming economy at that time throughout West Christian
Europe. The regulations provided a large range of
economic and personal freedoms while safeguarding
the interests of the city lord. It is precisely this, and not
the intention of ‘founding the city’, that was the essence
and the main function of municipal law, as defined
in the incorporation act. The history of Wrocław - a
city created through multi-stage development - seems
to prove this sufficiently. They also convince that the
general trend of commercialization of the economy in
cities of broadly understood region did not exclude individual
solutions. The commercialization was shaped
by the legal regulations imposed by the ruler, the economic
situation, the financial potential and skills of
local merchants as well as the quality of craft production.
The archaeological artefacts obtained in Wrocław,
mostly from Nowy Targ Square, illustrate the minutiae
of these phenomena.
One of the criteria defining a city of the European
Middle Ages is the specific lifestyle of its inhabitants,
different from that of the surrounding villages. It was
characterized by the relative prosperity of the members
of the burgher community, and yet associated with
high living costs and did not exclude economic stratification.
In the case of Wrocław and other large centres
of Central and Eastern Europe, the shaping of a new
lifestyle was one of the main elements of the Middle
Ages transformation. It was not available to inhabitants
of proto-urban settlements. The social structure that
prevailed before the introduction of urban law envisaged
a division into the secular and ecclesiastical elite
as well as the dependent population, with little personal
and economic freedom. Consequently, there were two
models of consumption - the first of which concerned
the elite and its entourage focused on luxury and the
second one concerning the modestly living servant
population. The legal transformation of the 13th century
brought changes in this area, which are perceptible
in the archaeological material.
The analysis leads to the conclusion that local occurrences
were not significant for shaping the lifestyle
of late medieval city inhabitants. The new models that
came from the West proved to be decisive for everyday
life, based on a new model of economics and implemented
in legally regulated, communal city. The
‘native’ element in the city of the 13th century was
primarily the duke and his entourage. The city was
his investment realized through the use of new organizational
patterns - the new law and the commercialization
of the economy. The demographic base
constituted German-speaking settlers from the West.
We should regard the lifestyle as a result of the adaptation
of newcomers to the local environment, local
needs and conditions as well as the result of the economic
prosperity of the city in the 13th-14th centuries.
This article aims to assess the suitability of dendrochronological analysis in the study of compl... more This article aims to assess the suitability of dendrochronological analysis in the study of complex stratigraphic systems. The problem is illustrated using as a case study excavations in Wrocław, where the thickness of the historical layers containing concentrations of preserved wood ranges in thickness from 3 to 5 m.
Books by Jerzy Piekalski
Wratislavia Antiqua 19, 2014
The aim of the book is to contribute to the discussion about medieval urbanisation of Central and... more The aim of the book is to contribute to the discussion about medieval urbanisation of Central and Eastern Europe, and the transformation of lifestyle that took place in the 12th–14th centuries. It was expressed in a new organisation of the urban space, emergence of private plots of land and new living conditions. The starting point for the present analysis is a thesis that the urban living conditions were special, different from the conventions typical of rural areas and elite communities. Life in urban areas went on in separate but overlapping public and private spaces. Both spheres were necessary to the urban lifestyle, reconciling communal interests, economic objectives and private life. The choice of Prague, Wrocław and Kraków, the most important urban centres in Bohemia, Silesia and Małopolska, stems from the fact that these cities clearly illustrate the cultural breakthrough that occurred in Central and Eastern Europe in the high Middle Ages. The breakthrough was based on the adoption of a new model of the economy and its driving force was the influx of settlers from Western Europe. The transformation of Central European proto-towns into communal towns was a process of their adaptation to new economic challenges. The urban law and structure, too, were adapted to them.
Wydawnictwo Uniwersytetu Wrocławskiego, 2014
The aim of the book is to contribute to the discussion about medieval urbanisation of Central and... more The aim of the book is to contribute to the discussion about medieval urbanisation of Central and Eastern Europe, and the transformation of lifestyle that took place in the 12th–14th centuries. It was expressed in a new organisation of the urban space, emergence of private plots of land and new living conditions. The starting point for the present analysis is a thesis that the urban living conditions were special, different from the conventions typical of rural areas and elite communities. Life in urban areas went on in separate but overlapping public and private spaces. Both spheres were necessary to the urban lifestyle, reconciling communal interests, economic objectives and private life. The choice of Prague, Wrocław and Kraków, the most important urban centres in Bohemia, Silesia and Małopolska, stems from the fact that these cities clearly illustrate the cultural breakthrough that occurred in Central and Eastern Europe in the high Middle Ages. The breakthrough was based on the adoption of a new model of the economy and its driving force was the influx of settlers from Western Europe. The transformation of Central European proto-towns into communal towns was a process of their adaptation to new economic challenges. The urban law and structure, too, were adapted to them.
wratislavia Antiqua 16, 2012
The Market Square in Gliwice (Upper Silesia, Poland) is an example of a town centre with a percep... more The Market Square in Gliwice (Upper Silesia, Poland) is an example of a town centre with a perceptibly burgher character, one which functioned without the permanent presence of a ducal court, with no pervasive involvement of a bishop’s authority or that of other members of the elite.
The Rythm of the City Development at the Cultural Frontier Study of Nowy Targ Square Zone in Wrocław, part 2, 2018
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Papers by Jerzy Piekalski
blocks belonging to the east part of old town in Wrocław, Poland. All historical buildings built at this
site from the Middle Ages to the first half of 20th century were destroyed through bombing in 1945.
During excavations, archaeologists tracked settler changes from the beginning of the 11th century,
development of merchant settlements, predating the founding the city on Magdeburg law organizing
residential block close to Nowy Targ in the second half of the 13th century. Well preserved layers,
including houses and sanitary space remains, made it possible to recognize the plot organization
changes during the aforementioned period. A vast amount of artifacts were found (including pottery,
glass and small metal finds from different periods), which showcased the rich material culture
of former burghers of Wrocław. The complex analysis of excavation results will be elaborated on in
the next few years.
Böhmen und nach der Liquidierung der herzoglichen Regalien. Schloss Kynast/Chojnik in den Sudeten ist ein Beispiel für dieses Phänomen.
Es wurde in der zweiten Hälfte des 14. Jahrhunderts erbaut, und sein Besitzer war ein Ritter Gotsche Schoff, der Vorläufer einer adeligen
Familie Schaffgotsch. Es ist eine typische Höhenburg, die die natürlichen Verteidigungsmerkmale der Region ausnutzt. Der Wohnkomfort
war jedoch gering. Dennoch wurde die Burg im späten Mittelalter und in der nachmittelalterlichen Zeit als die Wiege der Familie gehegt.
Die Funktion als Schaffgotscher Wohnsitz hatten damals jedoch andere Burgen und Schlösser.
Study of Nowy Targ Square Zone in Wrocław
The purpose of the research carried out by the authors
of this book was to reconstruct the process of creating
a city - the Silesian metropolis on a cultural borderland,
in the sphere of influence from the East and
the West. Our intention was to trace as wide a range of
subjects as possible. Materials from archaeological excavations
in Wrocław were mainly used as the source
database, with particular emphasis on excavations carried
out on Nowy Targ Square. We wanted to gain a
reflection of the medieval image of the city in its then
reality. Our intention is to engage in scientific discussion,
while simultaneously providing valuable reading
for a non-expert.
Wrocław belongs to the centres formed by a long
and complicated development. In modern research
thesis of forming the city at a certain point on the timeline
is not presented. This does not mean, however, that
this development was uniform. On the contrary, it was
marked by events and decisions as well as legal and spatial
regulations that changed the structure of the city,
often in a fundamental manner. In the case of Wrocław,
the implementation of spatial changes was conditioned
by a compromise between the needs of the duke and
the municipality and the specific natural conditions.
The decisions and solutions adopted earlier were also
important. We can only speculate that the location of
the stronghold on the river’s island was due to its natural
defensive elements, perhaps a need to protect the
crossing of the Odra River. The unintended consequence
of the decision taken in the mid-10th century
was that a large city developed in the later Middle Ages
in this location. Therefore, the possibilities of siting
buildings in the natural environment that would have
been important for the city and its inhabitants were
limited. The polycentric, proto-urban settlement complex
developed in the 12th century around the central
stronghold - on the islands and on both banks of the
river. A new element of this structure, decisive for the
future shape of the city, was a legally separate burgher
municipality, constituted in Wrocław before the mid-
13th century. The settlers from the Empire who formed
this municipality occupied an area free of buildings,
located to the west of the existing pre-incorporation
craft and trade settlement. The appearance of this new
settlement was a sign of the coming times. It reflected
a change in economic and legal conditions, ending the
possibility of the further development of the proto-urban
settlement and marking a new stage of Central Europe
urbanization.
The development of the communal city took place
in several stages involving the absorption of the old settlement,
the occupation of the land to the south and
west of the original range, and the rise of the New Town,
incorporated later into a common structure. There is a
specific relationship in Wrocław of the old settlement
to the newly organized city. Excavations on Nowy Targ
Square showed that both settlements functioned in parallel
for several decades. Both areas were surrounded by
a common strip of fortifications, later referred to as the
inner one. The old settlement had an irregular network
of streets and its axis was a street stretching between
the crossing to Sand Island and St Adalbert’s Church.
The centre of the new, regularly planned settlement was
a large rectangular marketplace. They differed in their
separate legal and fiscal solutions and were linked by
strong ducal power.
Commercialization of the economy was an essential
part of the transformation of Central and Eastern
European cities during the high Middle Ages. It seems
Summary
1214
that the legal changes that took place then were directed
at the regulation and fiscal control of economic processes
taking place quite independently, in line with the
booming economy at that time throughout West Christian
Europe. The regulations provided a large range of
economic and personal freedoms while safeguarding
the interests of the city lord. It is precisely this, and not
the intention of ‘founding the city’, that was the essence
and the main function of municipal law, as defined
in the incorporation act. The history of Wrocław - a
city created through multi-stage development - seems
to prove this sufficiently. They also convince that the
general trend of commercialization of the economy in
cities of broadly understood region did not exclude individual
solutions. The commercialization was shaped
by the legal regulations imposed by the ruler, the economic
situation, the financial potential and skills of
local merchants as well as the quality of craft production.
The archaeological artefacts obtained in Wrocław,
mostly from Nowy Targ Square, illustrate the minutiae
of these phenomena.
One of the criteria defining a city of the European
Middle Ages is the specific lifestyle of its inhabitants,
different from that of the surrounding villages. It was
characterized by the relative prosperity of the members
of the burgher community, and yet associated with
high living costs and did not exclude economic stratification.
In the case of Wrocław and other large centres
of Central and Eastern Europe, the shaping of a new
lifestyle was one of the main elements of the Middle
Ages transformation. It was not available to inhabitants
of proto-urban settlements. The social structure that
prevailed before the introduction of urban law envisaged
a division into the secular and ecclesiastical elite
as well as the dependent population, with little personal
and economic freedom. Consequently, there were two
models of consumption - the first of which concerned
the elite and its entourage focused on luxury and the
second one concerning the modestly living servant
population. The legal transformation of the 13th century
brought changes in this area, which are perceptible
in the archaeological material.
The analysis leads to the conclusion that local occurrences
were not significant for shaping the lifestyle
of late medieval city inhabitants. The new models that
came from the West proved to be decisive for everyday
life, based on a new model of economics and implemented
in legally regulated, communal city. The
‘native’ element in the city of the 13th century was
primarily the duke and his entourage. The city was
his investment realized through the use of new organizational
patterns - the new law and the commercialization
of the economy. The demographic base
constituted German-speaking settlers from the West.
We should regard the lifestyle as a result of the adaptation
of newcomers to the local environment, local
needs and conditions as well as the result of the economic
prosperity of the city in the 13th-14th centuries.
Books by Jerzy Piekalski
blocks belonging to the east part of old town in Wrocław, Poland. All historical buildings built at this
site from the Middle Ages to the first half of 20th century were destroyed through bombing in 1945.
During excavations, archaeologists tracked settler changes from the beginning of the 11th century,
development of merchant settlements, predating the founding the city on Magdeburg law organizing
residential block close to Nowy Targ in the second half of the 13th century. Well preserved layers,
including houses and sanitary space remains, made it possible to recognize the plot organization
changes during the aforementioned period. A vast amount of artifacts were found (including pottery,
glass and small metal finds from different periods), which showcased the rich material culture
of former burghers of Wrocław. The complex analysis of excavation results will be elaborated on in
the next few years.
Böhmen und nach der Liquidierung der herzoglichen Regalien. Schloss Kynast/Chojnik in den Sudeten ist ein Beispiel für dieses Phänomen.
Es wurde in der zweiten Hälfte des 14. Jahrhunderts erbaut, und sein Besitzer war ein Ritter Gotsche Schoff, der Vorläufer einer adeligen
Familie Schaffgotsch. Es ist eine typische Höhenburg, die die natürlichen Verteidigungsmerkmale der Region ausnutzt. Der Wohnkomfort
war jedoch gering. Dennoch wurde die Burg im späten Mittelalter und in der nachmittelalterlichen Zeit als die Wiege der Familie gehegt.
Die Funktion als Schaffgotscher Wohnsitz hatten damals jedoch andere Burgen und Schlösser.
Study of Nowy Targ Square Zone in Wrocław
The purpose of the research carried out by the authors
of this book was to reconstruct the process of creating
a city - the Silesian metropolis on a cultural borderland,
in the sphere of influence from the East and
the West. Our intention was to trace as wide a range of
subjects as possible. Materials from archaeological excavations
in Wrocław were mainly used as the source
database, with particular emphasis on excavations carried
out on Nowy Targ Square. We wanted to gain a
reflection of the medieval image of the city in its then
reality. Our intention is to engage in scientific discussion,
while simultaneously providing valuable reading
for a non-expert.
Wrocław belongs to the centres formed by a long
and complicated development. In modern research
thesis of forming the city at a certain point on the timeline
is not presented. This does not mean, however, that
this development was uniform. On the contrary, it was
marked by events and decisions as well as legal and spatial
regulations that changed the structure of the city,
often in a fundamental manner. In the case of Wrocław,
the implementation of spatial changes was conditioned
by a compromise between the needs of the duke and
the municipality and the specific natural conditions.
The decisions and solutions adopted earlier were also
important. We can only speculate that the location of
the stronghold on the river’s island was due to its natural
defensive elements, perhaps a need to protect the
crossing of the Odra River. The unintended consequence
of the decision taken in the mid-10th century
was that a large city developed in the later Middle Ages
in this location. Therefore, the possibilities of siting
buildings in the natural environment that would have
been important for the city and its inhabitants were
limited. The polycentric, proto-urban settlement complex
developed in the 12th century around the central
stronghold - on the islands and on both banks of the
river. A new element of this structure, decisive for the
future shape of the city, was a legally separate burgher
municipality, constituted in Wrocław before the mid-
13th century. The settlers from the Empire who formed
this municipality occupied an area free of buildings,
located to the west of the existing pre-incorporation
craft and trade settlement. The appearance of this new
settlement was a sign of the coming times. It reflected
a change in economic and legal conditions, ending the
possibility of the further development of the proto-urban
settlement and marking a new stage of Central Europe
urbanization.
The development of the communal city took place
in several stages involving the absorption of the old settlement,
the occupation of the land to the south and
west of the original range, and the rise of the New Town,
incorporated later into a common structure. There is a
specific relationship in Wrocław of the old settlement
to the newly organized city. Excavations on Nowy Targ
Square showed that both settlements functioned in parallel
for several decades. Both areas were surrounded by
a common strip of fortifications, later referred to as the
inner one. The old settlement had an irregular network
of streets and its axis was a street stretching between
the crossing to Sand Island and St Adalbert’s Church.
The centre of the new, regularly planned settlement was
a large rectangular marketplace. They differed in their
separate legal and fiscal solutions and were linked by
strong ducal power.
Commercialization of the economy was an essential
part of the transformation of Central and Eastern
European cities during the high Middle Ages. It seems
Summary
1214
that the legal changes that took place then were directed
at the regulation and fiscal control of economic processes
taking place quite independently, in line with the
booming economy at that time throughout West Christian
Europe. The regulations provided a large range of
economic and personal freedoms while safeguarding
the interests of the city lord. It is precisely this, and not
the intention of ‘founding the city’, that was the essence
and the main function of municipal law, as defined
in the incorporation act. The history of Wrocław - a
city created through multi-stage development - seems
to prove this sufficiently. They also convince that the
general trend of commercialization of the economy in
cities of broadly understood region did not exclude individual
solutions. The commercialization was shaped
by the legal regulations imposed by the ruler, the economic
situation, the financial potential and skills of
local merchants as well as the quality of craft production.
The archaeological artefacts obtained in Wrocław,
mostly from Nowy Targ Square, illustrate the minutiae
of these phenomena.
One of the criteria defining a city of the European
Middle Ages is the specific lifestyle of its inhabitants,
different from that of the surrounding villages. It was
characterized by the relative prosperity of the members
of the burgher community, and yet associated with
high living costs and did not exclude economic stratification.
In the case of Wrocław and other large centres
of Central and Eastern Europe, the shaping of a new
lifestyle was one of the main elements of the Middle
Ages transformation. It was not available to inhabitants
of proto-urban settlements. The social structure that
prevailed before the introduction of urban law envisaged
a division into the secular and ecclesiastical elite
as well as the dependent population, with little personal
and economic freedom. Consequently, there were two
models of consumption - the first of which concerned
the elite and its entourage focused on luxury and the
second one concerning the modestly living servant
population. The legal transformation of the 13th century
brought changes in this area, which are perceptible
in the archaeological material.
The analysis leads to the conclusion that local occurrences
were not significant for shaping the lifestyle
of late medieval city inhabitants. The new models that
came from the West proved to be decisive for everyday
life, based on a new model of economics and implemented
in legally regulated, communal city. The
‘native’ element in the city of the 13th century was
primarily the duke and his entourage. The city was
his investment realized through the use of new organizational
patterns - the new law and the commercialization
of the economy. The demographic base
constituted German-speaking settlers from the West.
We should regard the lifestyle as a result of the adaptation
of newcomers to the local environment, local
needs and conditions as well as the result of the economic
prosperity of the city in the 13th-14th centuries.