------------ EH.NET BOOK REVIEW --------------
Published by EH.NET (April 2006)
James M. Murray, _Bruges: Cradle of Capitalism, 1280-1390_.
Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2005. xii + 409 pp. $110
(hardcover), ISBN: 0-521-81921-0.
Reviewed for EH.NET by Erin Jordan, Department of History, University
of Northern Colorado.
In _Bruges: Cradle of Capitalism_, James M. Murray explores the
various threads (political, demographic, social and cultural) that,
weaved together over the course of over a century, combined to
produce one of the most economically vibrant cities in late medieval
Europe. In tracing the factors that contributed to such change,
Murray casts his net widely. He examines in impressive detail the
complex politics of the region, the importance of topography and
internal reclamation, the configuration of urban space and the
importance of waterways, the evolution of more complex systems of
banking and commerce, and the individuals who served as the primary
engine of change. Murray argues that the people of Bruges were
instrumental in harnessing the various forces necessary for
capitalism, making a case study of the city and its inhabitants an
ideal way to explore the characteristics and criteria necessary for
this type of economy to develop. In many ways, it is these
individuals who dominate his study, adding an element of the personal
to a much wider narrative of economic change. From merchants to
hostellers, bankers to beggars, Murray punctuates his narrative with
sketches of individuals drawn from the rich archival sources.
Building upon his previous work and benefiting from his familiarity
with both primary and secondary material, Murray aims to show that
"by 1350, Bruges had become a city unlike any other in northern
Europe and was blazing a path that in future both Antwerp and
Amsterdam in turn would follow" (p. 21).
In chapter 1, Murray provides a brief outline of the political
background of Bruges. He positions the city firmly at the center of a
complex set of competing political interests, ranging from local
officials to the count to the king of France. In particular, he
assesses the impact of such forces on the city's leaders, its
economy, and its emerging identity as a commercial hub of northern
Europe. Chapter 2 focuses on the development of the city and its
infrastructure, emphasizing in particular the unique relationship of
Bruges to water. While canals facilitated internal transport of
goods, topographic change provided access to a sizeable body of water
and made external transport possible. The remainder of this chapter
is devoted to an innovative examination of urban space and its
relationship to the burgeoning economy of the city, including the
criss-cross of roads and streets and the positioning of squares and
markets. It is Murray's argument that "the layout of streets,
bridges, and buildings reflects, albeit indirectly, the planning and
priorities of both public and private enterprise' (p. 84).
In chapter 3, Murray turns his attention to the human component of
the city, exploring questions about demography, population and
economic identity. In particular, he explores the role of mendicants
and merchants, both native and foreign, in advancing the economy of
Bruges. Extrapolating from extremely terse documents, Murray breathes
life into the records, fleshing out personal experience and tracing
individual actions where possible. Chapters 4 and 5 focus on the role
of money as a medium of exchange, and the evolution of sophisticated
economic institutions like the Bourse that provided the
infrastructure and means necessary for such "cradle capitalism" to
emerge. This discussion is continued in chapter 6, "Bruges as Node
and Network." focusing on the evolution of the merchant community
that would dominate the city's trade and the banking network that
emerged in tandem. Chapter 7, "Wool, Cloth and Gold," examines the
diverse economic sectors of the Bruges economy, tracing connections,
patterns of consumption and ultimately change.
In chapter 8, "Women in the Market and the Market in Women," Murray
addresses the position of women in the economy of Bruges, as
producers, consumers and as products themselves in the form of
prostitutes. Murray's own conclusion that "women were visible and
involved in almost every sector of the Bruges economy" (p. 326), does
make one wonder why their actions and activities were not integrated
throughout the narrative, but rather reserved for a separate chapter
towards the end of the book. While the decision to include women is
to be applauded, and the discussion of their activities is both
interesting and informative, the presentation leaves something to be
desired. However, this is one minor complaint of an otherwise
extremely impressive work. Chapter 9 presents the conclusion of his
investigation, as Bruges came firmly under Burgundian control,
signaling the shift from a medieval to an early modern economy.
Murray identifies the tensions, both internal and external, that
resulted from such change, and the impact of these new competing
political interests on the city's economy.
While the reader is immediately struck by Murray's deft prose and
ability to animate dense and potentially dry material, what is most
impressive about his study is his mastery of the sources, both
primary and secondary. In spite of its importance in the high and
late medieval period, the county of Flanders and the many urban
centers that dominated it remain somewhat underappreciated by modern
scholars, who tend to focus their energies on its larger, and
arguably more powerful, neighbors. Such marginalization is
undoubtedly due in no small part to the language difference. The work
of many Flemish scholars in particular remains unfamiliar to many
western scholars. To his credit, Murray incorporates much of this
work into his own study, bringing it to the attention of his
English-speaking audience. One can only hope that one result of his
work will be a more open dialogue between Flemish and American
scholars, facilitating intellectual exchange and a sharing of
expertise.
In addition to his exhaustive use of secondary sources in English,
French, Flemish and German, Murray also mines an incredibly rich set
of primary sources. Evidence from the city and state archives of
Bruges in particular appears frequently throughout the work. While
the massive number of extant documents makes Bruges particularly
attractive to historians, the linguistic challenges (as the documents
are written in Latin, French, and with increasing frequency over the
period, in Flemish) and the sheer number of available documents might
prove daunting to a less accomplished scholar. However, Murray's
familiarity with these archives and the documents they contain is
apparent in his ability to trace personal connections across
seemingly unrelated records, bringing into clear relief the network
of individuals most instrumental in the transformation of Bruges'
economy.
In exploring the evolution of Bruges into a thriving commercial
center, Murray simultaneously provides a glimpse into the cultural
life of the city. Through careful examination of the various factions
within the city and their struggle with count and king, Murray
reveals the myriad of social and economic currents that animated the
region, often erupting in military hostilities. However, in spite of
the occasional violence, the story is ultimately one of steady
progress and growth, as disparate groups worked towards the
transformation of Bruges, demographically, socially, politically, and
economically. Murray identifies the changes that, while perhaps
appearing earlier in the dense urban centers of Flanders, would
ultimately affect all of Europe. In tracing the shift from an
agricultural-based, predominately rural society to one centered more
firmly on commerce, trade and sophisticated mechanisms of exchange,
Murray traces the shift from a medieval to an early-modern economy.
Erin Jordan's publications include "Shared Rule, Separate Practice:
Assessing Benedictine Economic Activities in Northern Europe during
the Thirteenth Century," _Revue Benedictine_ 115 (2005): 187-204 and
_Women, Power and Religious Patronage in the Middle Ages_, New York:
Palgrave, 2006.
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Published by EH.Net (April 2006). All EH.Net reviews are archived at
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