Published 19. 9. 2025

Call for papers for a Specialist Session focused on the networks of relationships in which women in pre-modern cities operated and were influenced by at the European Association for Urban History (EAUH 2026) conference

Session Summary

This session examines inter-urban networks in late medieval and early modern Europe through the lens of gender, with a particular focus on the connections forged by and for women across urban centres.

We aim to explore both the networks that actively linked women’s communities—especially religious ones—across cities and regions, and the broader institutional frameworks that shaped women’s lives, such as transregional legal traditions. These include urban legal systems in southern, western, and central Europe that extended their influence into virtually all spheres of life, from family relations to economic activity, including women’s participation in guilds.

We welcome papers that investigate the relationships between women’s communities—especially monastic, conventual, or semi-formal associations such as Beguines—across different cities. These connections might include the circulation of ideas, reform movements, or economic cooperation, such as credit provision.

We also invite contributions that consider the less visible, yet significant, networks of influence that shaped laywomen’s lives, such as legal frameworks and urban norms governing economic and familial roles.

The session seeks to identify and analyse the types of inter-urban networks in which women were active participants, as well as those—such as legal traditions—that shaped their environments from without.

Key questions include:

1. What forms of inter-urban women’s networks can be identified in late medieval and early modern European cities?
2. Which networks or frameworks—such as urban legal traditions—exerted influence over women’s lives, and in what domains?
3. How did regional variation affect the nature and perception of these networks across Europe?

While the study of historical networks has gained traction in recent decades—particularly with the rise of digital humanities—the analysis of pre-modern women’s networks remains underexplored, especially in regions such as Central, Eastern, and Southern Europe. This session aims to address this gap by bringing together research that sheds light on women’s inter-urban connections, their mechanisms of cohesion, and their broader societal implications.