Historica Olomucensia 2 (2025), 49-70 | DOI: 10.5507/ho.2026.005
During the 15th and 16th centuries, it is possible to observe the dynamic development of regulations contained in guild privileges in serf towns. Many of them did not focus only on the economic functioning of the guilds, but also aimed to their ceremonial roles and modes of public representation. They extended into the private lives of guild members, compelling them to present themselves in specific ways not only within the guild community but also within the broader urban society as well. This study seeks to examine selected ceremonial aspects of guild corporations and to reconstruct their forms and functions in the towns owened by the bishops of Olomouc during the pre-White Mountain period. In this era, the bishops of Olomouc were owners of extensive landed property, including nearly twenty towns and market towns, which experienced intensive growth of urban culture, significantly shaped by the activities of guilds as bearers of collective identity. Through ceremonial practices guilds contributed to reinforcing social order and a sense of communal belonging.
Received: June 29, 2025; Revised: December 30, 2025; Accepted: February 6, 2026; Published: March 20, 2026 Show citation
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