Luxury, Living Standards and Poverty in the Cities of East-Central Europe in the 15Th-18Th Centuries Part I: Case Studies of Wroclaw and Prague

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This study aims to reconstruct the quality of life and urban lifestyles in Central-East Europe prior to industrialisation. Employing historical archaeology - an interdisciplinary approach integrating humanities and natural sciences - the research focuses on two key cities: Wroclaw, Silesia's historic capital, and Prague, Bohemia's royal metropolis. Culturally linked during this period, both cities endured modern-era political upheavals, devastating wars, economic shifts, and evolving artistic and architectural trends. This methodological framework facilitates a comprehensive analysis of their natural environments, socio-topographic zones, and urban development, including sanitation infrastructure. It also examines material culture disparities shaped by social status, societal roles, and individual preferences. Furthermore, the research provides insight into the intellectual life of city dwellers, their religious consciousness, complex symbolism, and the educational system developed since the Middle Ages, including Prague's university - the oldest in Central Europe.

This book is part of a two-part set: ISBN 9781407364575 (Part i); ISBN 9781407364582 (Part ii); ISBN 9781407362977 (set of both parts).