Urban culture, urban space and absolutism

In 2003 and 2004 the centre founded and coordinated a research network named “Urban space and the spacious urban society in a historical perspective” with the support from National Research Council. The urban culture during Absolutism was one of the main themes, and several studies were started. Tine Bro, for instance, wrote a prize dissertation about social foundations in the Danish towns, (her thesis can be seen here). The two main studies of the network have not yet been published. The first study is senior researcher and archivist Jørgen Mikkelsen’s manuscript about the development of urbanisation and urban systems in Europe until 1800. The second study is Søren Bitsch Christensen’s book about the Danish civic militias 1500-1900, on which he is currently still researching. Some of the sources and other materials can be seen in the database Borgervæbninger 1550-1870.