Studies on Late Medieval Gdansk

Studies on Late Medieval Gdansk discusses Gdansk (Danzig), a city whose governing authorities changed in the 15th century, with Polish kings replacing the Teutonic Knights. Located on the Baltic Sea, the town was home to around twenty to thirty thousand people, many of whom made their living working at sea. The world of wealthy patricians intertwined with that of ordinary residents of Gdansk. Sometimes conflicts and rivalries arose with close neighbours from Royal Prussia or distant ones from Poland and the Grand Duchy of Lithuania.

Devoted to various aspects of maritime life – including navigation, shipbuilding, disasters, and pirate attacks – the chapters in this book discuss issues such as the import of multiple goods and luxury items. They also analyze the fates of individual Gdansk skippers sailing to England, Spain, and even Iceland. Other protagonists are nobles, mayors and magistrates, and they are also women who tried to influence the reality around them despite legal restrictions.

This book will appeal to students and scholars alike interested in the social and maritime history of Gdansk.