Themenheft
The Materiality of Credit Material Traditions of Medieval Debt and Credit Relationships
This special issue provides an overview of the diversity of the materiality of credit relations in central, northern, and southeastern Europe. In nine case studies dealing with different kinds of objects like tally sticks, letters, or pawn objects it is shown that credit was not limited to a specific social or economic stratum. The different approaches stemming from archeology, German philology, Jewish studies, and material studies mobilize new insights in the functioning of medieval credit. Given the growing research interest about economic changes in the Middle Ages, the articles offer a valuable addition to sources available for economists and historians alike.