The Comparison of Some Aspects of the Origin of Cities Cracow and Olomouc Cover Image

Komparace některých aspektů počátků měst Krakova a Olomouce
The Comparison of Some Aspects of the Origin of Cities Cracow and Olomouc

Author(s): Petr Zajíček
Subject(s): History
Published by: Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci
Keywords: Cracow; Olomouc; foundation of cities; settlement; medieval town; city organism; locator; prefoundation settlement; medieval colonization

Summary/Abstract: The origin of institutional towns represents a result of a long-term development which culminated in the 13th century when the first towns were founded. The two basic types of a new settlement appeared: towns that grew “on a greensward” and towns built on a place of a previous agglomeration. Cracow and Olomouc presents settlements which had a few century history settlement development behind them at the point of the institutional establishment of the city. Since early medieval times the varied agglomeration has originated around Olomouc and Cracow castle, what allowed the foundation and the formation of new legal cities that were established approximately in the middle of the 13th century. The similarity of the origins of both cities offers a comparative method for the development of both settlements and founding processes. Although every city is unique, it looks probable to trace certain parallels and at least at the basic level to describe an origin of a new town as a general process of many stages. It also shows that the existence of a pre-foundation settlement with churches in a wider settlement around the castle in Olomouc and Cracow became crucial. They were frequently connected with a trade as well as a market. The founding process itself represents a complicated, multi-layered, legal and physical activity, of which end it is possible to find a city.

  • Issue Year: XXXVII/2014
  • Issue No: 47
  • Page Range: 13-45
  • Page Count: 33
  • Language: Czech
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