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Cited by 221Historical Economic and Social StudiesCulture, Economy, and Development StudiesHistorical Economic and Legal Thought

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Medieval Universities, Legal Institutions, and the Commercial Revolution *

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Cantoni, Davide, Yuchtman, Noam·2014·The Quarterly Journal of Economics
DOI 10.1093/qje/qju007
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Abstract

We present new data documenting medieval Europe’s Commercial Revolution using information on the establishment of markets in Germany. We use these data to test whether medieval universities played a causal role in expanding economic activity, examining the foundation of Germany’s first universities after 1386 following the papal schism. We find that the trend rate of market establishment breaks upward in 1386 and this break is greatest where the distance to a university shrank most. There is no differential pre-1386 trend associated with the reduction in distance to a university, and there is no break in trend in 1386 where university proximity did not change. These results are robust to estimating a variety of specifications that address concerns about the endogeneity of university location. Universities provided training in newly rediscovered Roman and canon law; students with legal training served in positions that reduced the uncertainty of trade in the Middle Ages. We argue that training in the law, and the consequent development of legal and administrative institutions, was an important channel linking universities and greater economic activity in medieval Germany.

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Research works printed but not linked: 22

  1. Alidosi, 1623, Li dottori bolognesi di legge canonica e civile dal principio di essi per tutto l’anno 1619
  2. Bairoch, 1988, La population des villes européennes, 800–1850: Banque de données et analyse sommaire des résultats
  3. Baltl, 1962, “Einflüsse des römischen Rechts in Österreich,”
  4. Brewer, 1988, The Sinews of Power
  5. Dotzauer, 1977, “Deutsches Studium und deutsche Studenten an europäischen Hochschulen (Frankreich, Italien) und die nachfolgende Tätigkeit in Stadt, Kirche und Territorium in Deutschland,”, pp. 112
  6. Fournier, 1888, “La nation allemande a l’Université d’Orléans au XIVe siècle,”, Nouvelle revue historique de droit français et étranger, 12, 386
  7. Friedländer, 1887, Acta Nationis Germanicae Universitatis Bononiensis
  8. Grohmann, 1969, Le fiere del Regno di Napoli in età aragonese
  9. Keussen, 1892, Die Matrikel der Universität Köln
  10. Keyser, 1939–1974, Deutsches Städtebuch
  11. Klose, Handbuch der historischen Stätten Deutschlands
  12. Kuhn, 1971, Die Studenten der Universität Tübingen zwischen 1477 und 1534; ihr Studium und ihre spätere Lebensstellung
  13. Lopez, 1976, The Commercial Revolution of the Middle Ages
  14. Mira, 1955, Le fiere lombarde nei secoli XIV–XVI; prime indagini
  15. Moraw, 1986, “Gelehrte Juristen in Dienst der deutschen Könige des späten Mittelalters (1273–1493),”
  16. Muther, 1876, “Römisches und canonisches Recht im deutschen Mittelalter,”, pp. 1
  17. Repertorium Academicum Germanicum, “Winand von Steeg,”, RAG, Repertorium Academicum Germanicum
  18. Savigny, 1834, Geschichte des römischen Rechts im Mittelalter
  19. Schuler, 1977–1999, “Schwäbischer Städtebund,”, 1608
  20. Toepke, 1884, Die Matrikel der Universität Heidelberg
  21. University of Prague, 1830, Monumenta Historica Universitatis Carolo-Ferdinandeae Pragensis
  22. Weissenborn, 1881, Acten der Erfurter Universität

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Metadata

Authors
Cantoni, D., & Yuchtman, N.
Affiliations
  • Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München (DE)
  • Harvard University (US)
ORCID
Venue
The Quarterly Journal of Economics
Publisher
Oxford University Press (OUP)
Published
2014-03-12
Volume
129
Issue
2
Pages
823-887
ISSN
  • 0033-5533 (ISSN-L)
  • 1531-4650
DOI
10.1093/qje/qju007
OpenAlex
W2124465692
Cited by
221
References
111
Citations by year
2026: 13 · 2025: 19 · 2024: 19 · 2023: 21 · 2022: 36 · 2021: 19 · 2020: 17 · 2019: 16 · 2018: 7 · 2017: 10 · 2016: 12 · 2015: 14 · 2014: 11
FWCI
38.76
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Locations
  • The Quarterly Journal of Economics (publishedVersion)
  • London School of Economics and Political Science Theses Online (London School of Economics and Political Science) (acceptedVersion)
  • London School of Economics and Political Science Research Online (London School of Economics and Political Science) (acceptedVersion)
  • RePEc: Research Papers in Economics (submittedVersion)
  • Econstor (Econstor) (submittedVersion)
  • Open access LMU (Ludwid Maxmilian's Universitat Munchen) (submittedVersion)
  • Universitätsbibliothek der LMU
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Historical Economic and Social Studies
  • Social Sciences › Development › Culture, Economy, and Development Studies
  • Social Sciences › Economics, Econometrics and Finance › Economics and Econometrics › Historical Economic and Legal Thought
Keywords
medieval universities, commercial revolution, market creation, university proximity, legal institutions, canon law, Roman law, legal education, trade uncertainty, economic growth, papal schism, medieval Germany

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