This volume describes the outlines of the 'state of the art' in the field of rural history for countries such as England, the Netherlands, Belgium, Germany and Northern France. The contributing authors, all outstanding specialists in the field, present an overview of the most important publications regarding the areas covered. They also point to the most important research topics as well as indicating the most important lacunae in the field of rural history during the last decades. The original texts of this book formed the basis of the international research group CORN, which studies the economic development of the Northern European countryside in a comparative way. The regional monographs are preceded by a short methodological introduction concerning the comparative methods used by this network as well as the possible pitfalls and problems.
Author(s): Erik Thoen, Leen Van Molle (eds.)
Series: Comparative Rural History of the North Sea Area. CORN Publication Series, 1
Publisher: Brepols
Year: 2006
Language: English
Pages: 320
City: Turnhout
List of contributors 7
Editors preface 9
Introduction
1. Comparative rural history in the spotlight: past experiences and recent developments / Leen VAN MOLLE and Erik THOEN 11
2. CORN: a step forward towards a 'new rural history' / Erik THOEN 33
England
3. English agrarian history before 1850: an historiographic review / Bruce M. S. CAMPBELL and Mark OVERTON 35
4. English agrarian history after 1850: a review of recent scholarly achievement / Edward J. T. COLLINS 73
France
5. The rural history of France in the Middle Ages: the current state of research / John DRENDEL 95
6. The benefits of a historiographical crisis: the study of French rural history (c. 1500-1800) during the last fifty years / Gérard BÉAUR 119
Germany
7. German agrarian history during the second half of the twentieth century / Peter BUCKLE 147
Belgium
8. The rural history of Belgium in the Middle Ages and the 'Ancien Régime': sources, results and future avenues for research / Erik THOEN with the collaboration of Guy DEJONGH 177
9. Belgian agrarian and rural history, 1800-2000 / Eric VANHAUTE and Leen VAN MOLLE 217
The Netherlands
10. Dutch rural economy and society in the later medieval period (c. 1000-1500): an historiographical survey / Peter HOPPENBROUWERS 249
11. Dutch agricultural history c. 1500-1950: a state of research / Jan BIELEMAN 283
12. Dutch rural history c. 1600-2000: debates and selected themes / Piet VAN CRUYNINGEN 295
