Städer i öst och väst : sammanfattande rapport etapp I

This contribution compares the medieval towns in central and western Sweden, putting forward the point of view that urbanism differed in the two regions. The chronology of urban development in the two areas is studied; as is also the stability of the urbanization, that is, was the urban structure relatively firmly established or was it unstable, with discontinuity, changes of site etc? The strength and stability of the towns can also reflect the extent to which they had secular and ecclesiastical institutions and administrative functions. It is more difficult to postulate the size of the towns but, even so, an attempt is made here to specify their surface area. The author believes that there is a significant difference between the two regions. In central Sweden a stable and buoyant urban organization was established during a relatively short period in the 13th century, while in western Sweden, which was split up among three countries in the Middle Ages, it was a long time before anything similar was established. There were many changesof site; there were few institutionsin the towns which appear mainly tohave been economically weak. There are many explanations for this. In central Sweden there was a healthy economic hinterland (with agriculture and mining). Power was centralized nearby and it could both promote and direct the foundation of towns. Western Sweden was peripheral to all the three bordering countries among which it was split in the middle ages. Central power had more difficulty in making itself felt. Urbanization has been associated with other political, economic and administrative changes which occurred within the realm. This study suggests that it might also be fruitful to look at urbanism in the light of variable regional development