A digital window onto the early modern normative world
When Emperor Charles V ordered in 1530 that taverns close at nightfall and that sumptuous clothing be reserved for the nobility, it was more than just a command: it was an expression of his power. At the same time, however, it was a response to people's need for order. Such Policeyordnungen (police ordinances) governed life in the early modern period down to the smallest detail – from church attendance to the price of beer.
For those seeking to study to these ordinances today, the Repertorium der Policeyordnungen der Frühen Neuzeit provides the best place to start. Its twelve substantial volumes are now also available online in the first digital tool of its kind, making over 200,000 laws available in a systematic, accessible and searchable format.
The Repertorium was co-edited by Michael Stolleis, who initiated the project during his time as Director of what was then the Max Planck Institute for European Legal History, and Karl Härter, who led and coordinated the project for many years. The texts listed in the repertory show that order was never abstract. It was concrete, local, created by rules – and reveals a lot about how past societies saw themselves.
A mammoth project goes online
The Repertorium is the result of decades of research. The project’s aim was not only to catalogue the police laws of the Holy Roman Empire and adjacent territories and states from the 13th century to 1806 as historical documents, but also to analyse them as a reflection of social order. The ordinances reveal the power structures, moral concepts and social control mechanisms of early modern societies.
The repertory is now available in Open Access as a searchable online database. It provides all essential information about the ordinances, including the legislating authorities / states, addressees, social and geographical scope, subject matter and references to other laws, as well as the relevant archives and printed editions. A three-level hierarchical taxonomy and systematic and keyword indexing facilitate the use of the database.
Two guiding intellects: Stolleis and Härter
Two names stand for this project: Karl Härter, for many years a member of staff and since his retirement in 20xx an Affiliated Researcher at the mpilhlt, coordinated the repertory for decades. His expertise, systematic approach and perseverance were essential in making the ambitious undertaking a success.
The second is Michael Stolleis, who served as the Institute’s Director for nearly twenty years and recognised the scholarly significance of police ordinances early on. For him, law was never just a system but always an expression of social practice. This approach informed the Institute’s work during his directorship and is also reflected in the repertory.
Outlook
The online publication marks a milestone. But the project is still evolving: further territories, digital analysis tools, and multilingual interfaces are being added. Vorschlag stattdessen: It is part of the mpilhlt’s efforts to continue to make the substantial outcomes of the basic research conducted at the Institute since its foundation available to wider audiences through Open Access and enhanced with Digital Humanities tools.