Urban Governance and Battling the “Evil of Contagion”: Measures Against the 1738–1739 Plague in Sibiu/Hermannstadt
Urban Governance and Battling the “Evil of Contagion”: Measures Against the 1738–1739 Plague in Sibiu/Hermannstadt

Summary/Abstract: The present analysis looks at how plague ordinances evolved between roughly June 1738 and late December 1739, based on protocols kept by the urban authorities in Hermannstadt/Sibiu, and on other related documentation, both civil and military in origin. It examines the main spheres of action envisaged as a means to contain the spread of the epidemic and root it out from the urban landscape: measures and procedures for isolation and quarantine; limitations imposed on commercial activity, certain trades, or the circulation of individuals; ordinances concerning the recording and reporting of plague occurrences; finally, measures pertaining to upholding public hygiene and carrying out the disinfection of urban spaces. In chronicling the complex ways of tackling the epidemic, this section emphasizes the interactions between levels of government in matters of healthcare management.

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