Textor viator. Mobilność tkaczy Pogórza Karpackiego w epoce nowożytnej

Abstract

Spatial mobility of communities living in the Carpathian Foothills in the early modern era is an interesting issue, primarily because of local ethnic diversity. In addition to representatives of Polish ethnic groups, Orthodox (later Greek Catholic) Wallachians and Ruthenians, Hungarians and Jews lived here. According to chronicle narratives (Kromer, Bielski, Stryjkowski, Piasecki, Starowolski) from the 16th–17th centuries, however, the region was characterized above all by a high degree of population of descendants of former German settlers (called Deaf Germans), brought in 14th–15th centuries, who still spoke a language similar to German and professionally engaged in weaving (especially nearby the towns of Biecz, Krosno and Łańcut). The aim of the article is to look at the issue of mobility of this professional group based on the entries from the Book of Admission to the Municipal Law of Biecz (1538–1690) and in the context of research on the Deaf Germans. The analysis of the data confirms that the key group arriving in the foothills town were weavers from various areas of the former German settlement. In addition to the issue of spatial mobility, attention will also be devoted to social mobility, because moving from the countryside to the city was an opportunity for social advancement at that time.