Village Elites and Social Structures in the Late Medieval Campine Region

The economy of the late medieval Low Countries is often portrayed in terms of dynamism and economic growth. However, several regions within this larger entity followed an alternate path of development. One example of this is the Campine (Kempen), a communal peasant region situated to the northeast of the sixteenth-century 'metropolis' of Antwerp. By contrast with other regions in the Low Countries, this area was characterised by a remarkable stability. By focusing on 'independent' peasant eli…