History Seminar

Abstract: During the 14th to 16th centuries, three principal legal traditions influenced the legal systems of cities in Central and Eastern Europe, particularly within the Kingdom of Poland and the Kingdom of Bohemia: the so-called German law (Ius Teutonicum), including Magdeburg and Nuremberg law; local legislation; and ius commune (medieval Roman law and canon law). German law, which provided the foundational framework for establishing cities across the region, offered pragmatic advantages for settlers. Local legislation codified preexisting customary practices or privileges granted by monarchs and was frequently borrowed by smaller towns from larger cities. The Roman-canonical ius commune enriched municipal legal culture through reasoning and argumentation derived from its principles and influenced the drafting of municipal statutes and city codes. The interplay in the cities between these three legal traditions was facilitated by the extensive self-governance granted under Magdeburg and Nuremberg law. By the 16th century, however, locally driven initiatives increasingly encountered the reformist ambitions of centralized authorities. Despite this, the legal pluralism evident in this period reflected the ethnic, religious, and social diversity characteristic of the states of Central and Eastern Europe.