Unsuccessful Attempts at the Incorporation of Cities in the District Duchy of Greater Poland in the 13th Century

Abstract

In the second half of the 13th century, the process of incorporation or institution of cities (a.k.a. the process of granting municipal rights) under German law began in Greater Poland. By 1314, i.e. until the end of the existence of a separate district duchy of Greater Poland, 51 successful city incorporations were carried out in its area, by princes and clerical as well as secular feudal lords At the same time, there were also 8 unsuccessful incorporation initiatives (14%). An unsuccessful settlement is a settlement that did not lead to the creation of a town or a settlement that had to be repeated after some time, especially with the consent of another ruler or another settlement owner. The article discusses these failed ventures while attempting to analyse the specific reasons for the failures. The following factors or their combinations can be pointed out: periodic unrest and political instability in the region, limiting the circle of potential settlers only to newcomers from abroad (with the exclusion of the locals), unclear legal and ownership status of the settlement being incorporated, competition from a nearby, stronger center, lack of sufficient support from the feudal owner (especially in the case of clerical and private feudals). At this early stage in the development of urban life, it is also possible to see a clear advantage of monarchical incorporations, which usually had a greater chance of success and further successful development. A similar distribution of unsuccessful and successful granting of municipal rights to towns (15%) has been noted by the literature in medieval Silesia.