ENGLISH

Guilds, Innovation and the European Economy, 1400-1800

By S. R. Epstein , Maarten Prak

Book information

Year
2008
ISBN
0521887178, 9780521887175, 9780511388446
Open Library ID
OL10438515M
Language
english
Format
PDF
Filesize
1 MB (1307595 bytes)
Edition
1
Pages
364\362
Topic
History
Time added
2011-06-04 13:46:07

Description

For a long time guilds have been condemned as a major obstacle to economic progress in the pre-industrial era. This re-examination of the role of guilds in the early modern European economy challenges that view by taking into account fresh research on innovation, technological change and entrepreneurship. Leading economic historians argue that industry before the Industrial Revolution was much more innovative than previous studies have allowed for and explore the different products and production techniques that were launched and developed in this period. Much of this innovation was fostered by the craft guilds that formed the backbone of industrial production before the rise of the steam engine. The book traces the manifold ways in which guilds in a variety of industries in Italy, Austria, Germany, Switzerland, France, Belgium, the Netherlands, and Britain helped to create an institutional environment conducive to technological and marketing innovations.

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