Middle Ages Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ===Economic revival=== [[File:Seal City of Hamburg 1241 replica.jpg|right|thumb|alt=A round seal depicting the walls of a town with two towers and a gate, and the tower of a church|Impression of the earliest known seal of the northern German city of [[Hamburg]] (1241)]] The expansion of population, greater agricultural productivity and relative political stability laid the foundations for the medieval "[[Commercial Revolution]]" in the 11th century.{{sfn|Barber|2004|p=58}} People with surplus cash began investing in commodities like salt, pepper, silk, wine and honey at faraway markets.{{sfn|Epstein|2009|pp=74–85}}{{sfn|Rubin|2014|p=99}} Rising trade brought new methods of dealing with money, and gold coinage was again minted in Europe, first [[Florin|in Florence]] and [[Genovino|Genoa]]. New forms of commercial contracts emerged, allowing risk to be shared within the framework of [[partnership]]s known as {{lang|it|[[commenda]]}} or {{lang|it|compagnia}}.{{sfn|Barber|2004|pp=70–71}} [[Bill of exchange|Bills of exchange]] also appeared, enabling easy transmission of money. As many types of coins were in circulation, [[money changer]]s facilitated transactions between local and foreign merchants. Loans could also be negotiated with them which gave rise to the development of credit institutions called banks.{{sfn|Epstein|2009|pp=83, 89}} As local commercial centres developed into towns, the economic growth brought about a new wave of urbanisation. Kings and aristocrats mainly supported the process in the hope of increased tax revenues.{{sfn|Epstein|2009|pp=100–103}} Most urban communities received privileges acknowledging their autonomy, but few cities could get rid of all elements of external control.{{sfn|Barber|2004|pp=48–49}} Townspeople engaged in the same trade or profession were united in confraternities known as [[guild]]s. Typically, these associations set the rules for quality, training, and pricing, and only their members had access to the local market.{{sfn|Epstein|2009|pp=110–118}}{{sfn|Backman|2022|pp=461–464}} The Italian [[maritime republics]] such as [[Duchy of Amalfi|Amalfi]], [[Republic of Venice|Venice]], [[Republic of Genoa|Genoa]], and [[Republic of Pisa|Pisa]] were the first to profit from the revival of commerce in the Mediterranean.{{sfn|Barber|2004|p=58}} In the north, German merchants established associations known as known as {{lang|de|[[Hanse|hansas]]}} and took control of the trade routes connecting the British Islands and the [[Low Countries]] with Scandinavia and Eastern Europe.{{refn|group=note|These two groups—Germans and Italians—took different approaches to their trading arrangements. Most German cities co-operated when dealing with the northern rulers; in contrast, the Italian city-states engaged in internecine strife, culminating in the [[War of Saint Sabas]] in the Levant.{{sfn|Epstein|2009|pp=78–81}}}}{{sfn|Barber|2004|p=61}} Great [[Fair|trading fairs]] were established and flourished [[Champagne fairs|in northern France]], allowing Italian and German merchants to trade with each other as well as local merchants.{{sfn|Epstein|2009|pp=78–83}} Economic growth provided opportunities to Jewish merchants to spread all over Europe with the local rulers' support.{{sfn|Chazan|2006|pp=209–212, 219–222}} As the Jews could not engage in prestigious trades outside their communities, they often took despised jobs such as ragmen or tax collectors.{{sfn|Epstein|2009|p=107}} They were especially active in moneylending for they could ignore the Christian clerics' condemnation on loan interest.{{sfn|Chazan|2006|pp=217–218}} The Jewish moneylenders and pawn brokers reinforced [[antisemitism]], which led to [[blood libel]]s and [[pogrom]]s. Church authorities' growing concerns about Jewish influence on Christian life inspired segregationist laws,{{refn|group=note|The Jews were required to wear a [[Yellow badge|distinctive badge]] on their cloths and to live in [[Jewish quarter (diaspora)|their own districts]] in the towns.{{sfn|Chazan|2006|p=213}}}} and even the Jews' permanent expulsion [[Edict of Expulsion|from England]].{{sfn|Chazan|2006|pp=166–167, 213–214}} Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page