The Topography Of Sacred Space And The Representation Of Social Groups: Confraternities In Strasbourg

Abstract

This chapter investigates confraternities of craftsmen and explores issues concerning urban social ranking, public solutions of conflicts, violations of honor and disciplinary actions, as well as the late medieval city's sacral topography. It focuses on confraternities of craftsmen at Strasbourg. The chapter describes the confraternities’ varied structures, their members’ responsibilities, their constitutions, and their main functions. Then it focuses on processions and introduces some new material on the role of confraternities in civic processions from Strasbourg’s sources. Next, the chapter shows how processions served as civic events where intergroup conflicts could be displayed and sometimes resolved in public. Finally, it focuses on a new group identity for the members of contraternities of journeymen at the close of the Middle Ages. Keywords: civic processions; confraternities; craftsmen; late medieval city; sacral topography; Strasbourg; urban social ranking