Published: 2025-12-30

The construction, maintenance, and functioning of town halls in smaller towns of the Kingdom of Poland until the end of the sixteenth century: preliminary observations

Maciej T. Radomski
The Quarterly of the History of Material Culture
Section: Studies and Materials
DOI https://doi.org/10.23858/KHKM73.2025.4.001

Abstract

The article investigates the processes of constructing, financing, and maintaining town halls in smaller towns of the Kingdom of Poland up to the end of the sixteenth century. Based on written sources — principally urban charters and municipal records —
alongside archaeological and architectural evidence, it analyses construction chronologies, the role of town owners, and the financial obligations associated with both the erection and the upkeep of these buildings. Particular attention is paid to the frequent
impermanence of town halls, which stemmed, among other factors, from recurrent fires and the limited resources of urban communities.

Keywords:

Kingdom of Poland, chartered town, town hall, Middle Ages, sixteenth century, urbanization

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Radomski, M. (2025). The construction, maintenance, and functioning of town halls in smaller towns of the Kingdom of Poland until the end of the sixteenth century: preliminary observations. The Quarterly of the History of Material Culture, 73(4), 471–483. https://doi.org/10.23858/KHKM73.2025.4.001

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