Civilisation of Violence? A Critical Reanalysis of the Premodern Sources
Final Report Abstract
During the last 25 years many social scientists have claimed as an incontested truth that violence has decreased since late medieval times in Europe. The homicide rate is regarded as a valid and easily ascertainable indicator of this. The thorough analysis of the underlying source material in our project reveals, however, that the assertion of a long-term decline in violence has no serious empirical foundation. Forms and contents of the sources are immensely heterogeneous, and a closer look at the alleged richness of the data uncovers significant gaps. Moreover, medieval and early modern population estimates are unreliable. Historical research on violence should rather focus on more specific historical constellations and carefully pay attention to their contexts.
Publications
- Hard Numbers? The long-term decline in violence reassessed. Empirical objections and fresh perspectives, Continuity and Change 36.1 (2021)
Gerd Schwerhoff, Benjamin Seebröker, Wiebke Voigt & Alexander Kästner
(See online at https://doi.org/10.1017/S0268416021000096) - Waffengebrauch und Gewaltpraktiken in der alteuropäischen Stadt: Köln und Leipzig am Beginn der Neuzeit, in: Ein bürgerliches Pulverfass? Waffenbesitz und Waffenkontrolle in der alteuropäischen Stadt, hrsg. v. Werner Freitag/ Martin Scheutz, Köln u.a. 2021, S.55-75
Hiroyuki Saito/Gerd Schwerhoff
(See online at https://doi.org/10.7788/9783412521103.55)
