What is a commune: city management in the Middle Ages

The system of city management in the Middle Ages was not the same as now. Especially it is about the early Middle Ages. Until the 10th century, no city in Europe had a self-government.

What is a commune?

The Commune is a community (group) of people who have much in common with each other. For example, on the principle of living in one territory, on political views. Such a group of people also has related sources of existence (receives income by working on one site).

What is the commune in the Middle Ages? This question is unequivocal - this is the city community. Transport infrastructure in the Middle Ages was not developed, so the migration between cities was minimal. If a person was born in a city, then he stayed there for life.

How was the city management system organized in the first place? In principle, nothing complicated was not. The whole land belonged to feudal lords (large owners), who could dispose of it at their discretion. The main feudal lord of the country was often the emperor (tsar).

The struggle for self-government

The feudal lords did not immediately realize what a commune is. And in vain! Analyzing the concept of "commune" in a modern way, we actually see the germ of civil society. People had their own position, their own general view of the management of their native city and wanted to be free in terms of setting the way of life of the city.

The struggle for liberation from feudal dependence took a long time. The urban population has always tried to resolve the issue peacefully, but this was not always possible, so there were military skirmishes. But basically the process was peaceful. Land owners gradually began to understand what a commune is and what benefit it can ultimately bring to them. People were freed from personal dependence, they acquired certain freedoms.

Which cities got the communal rights?

Here you can mention the French cities of Boisson, Amiens, Lille, Toulouse, as well as Belgian - Ghent, Bruges. In Italy, due to national peculiarities, the process went a little differently, that's why the cities got the status of republics (Milan, Venice, Genoa, Pisa, etc.). In these cities, their own administrative bodies, the police, local taxes could be established.

Understanding what a commune is, we see the beginning of the process of the formation of civil society in Europe in the 10th century. Citizens had an active life position, plans, so they were confident in the success of their city, even if it was not assigned to the feudal lord.