Społeczno-przestrzennewytwarzanie "Zachodu" naperyferiach ŚwiętegoCesarstwaRzymskiego. Kolonializmosadniczynapograniczuczesko-niemiecko-polskim uzaraniaprocesulokowaniamiastiwsi
Socio-spatial development of the “West” at the peripheries of the Holy Roman Empire: settler colonialism at the Czech-German-Polish borderland in the early days of the cities and villages chartering process

Summary/Abstract: The article tackles the issue of settlement colonialism developed in the Holy Roman Empire and its borderlands between from 11th to 13th centuries -- the period of expansion of the medieval urban and transport infrastructure networks. That process, made visible through a significant increase in the number of chartered cities and villages, led to economic and demographic growth, as well as the breaking of resistance of those who were reluctant to accept its rules. It was also linked with integration of Church administration (Gregorian reforms, Investiture Controversy, monastic reforms) which manifested through the colonial-missionary form of development of a network of new religious foundations, through subordination of the clergy to the Pope, and through expansion of the assets of the Church as one of the main actors in the rivalry for power across the western Christian world. The authors argue that these developments led to the establishment of the concept of the "West" and, later, the idea of "Europe" itself, as well as that they became a lasting foundation for colonialism understood as a system of beliefs and practices in relation to mobility and statutory social hierarchy, creation and application of the law, means and goals of the administration, as well as the use of available resources, including the population itself. As a result, later European colonialism was characterised by traits developed during the period discussed in this article period of church and secular colonial practices.

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