IN THE HOMES OF TOWNSMEN FROM THE OLDEN TIME. AN INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF TOWN HOUSES IN EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY TIMIŞOARA
IN THE HOMES OF TOWNSMEN FROM THE OLDEN TIME. AN INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY OF TOWN HOUSES IN EIGHTEENTH-CENTURY TIMIŞOARA

Summary/Abstract: Research on urban habitation can reflect various and sundry aspects. This study aims to undertake an analysis of the houses of Timişoara’s eighteenth-century residents from a micro-historical perspective. Using methods of cultural and social history and examining archival documents such as inventories and wills, we shall try to find out what a house looked like inside, what decorations or furniture garnished the rooms, what activities the household members fancied, which kind of food or clothing was available for them, etc. The article starts by presenting a general frame of the living conditions in this Habsburg fortress, followed by details of the townspeople’s private life. In order to do that, we highlight the association of several types of sources, but also the way information about assets appears in documents. From poorer inventories to the most complex wills, the sources cover a wide range of subdomains of the so-called "la petite histoire". Through the three case studies presented here, we shall attempt to understand if living in the town by the Bega resembled habitation conditions in Early Modern Europe, and whether Timişoara’s dwellers were aware of what was in fashion on the rest of the continent. The analysis of the three examples starts by exploring the location of the house and continues with considerations on its internal structure, its landlords/ tenants and the description of the goods. The images resulting here provide an unexpected and vivid introspection into the domestic sphere three hundred years ago.

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