City and Society in the Low Countries

The IUAP-project 'City and society in the Low Countries, 1200-1800: space, knowledge, social capital' aims at capitalizing on acquired know-how ('Urban Society in the Low Countries') and at the same time at enlarging and rejuvenating the network in order to fulfill expanded scientific goals. Available know-how on urban history in Belgium (and in the Netherlands through collaboration with a Dutch team) is brought together in order to explore topics which reflect current trends in historical research and to evaluate methodological innovation. Three research packages are proposed whose subjects emphasize the socio-cultural and spatial historical approach: (1) urban space, (2) knowledge and culture, (3) social capital.