Behind the scenes: Urban secretaries as managers of legal and diplomatic conflicts in the Baltic region, c.1470–1540

Abstract

ABSTRACT This article analyses the activities of urban secretaries in legal and diplomatic conflicts in and around late medieval Baltic cities. By applying actor and practice-centered approaches of conflict management and the New Diplomatic History to their letters and correspondence, it argues that secretaries made use of a combination of education, specialised governance knowledge and individual networks to participate actively in handling their councils’ conflicts. Thus, this article provides new insights into the activities of educated personnel in late medieval cities and – by combining the legal and diplomatic sphere – also aims at providing a fresh perspective on practices of Hanseatic conflict management.