The European guilds - 78

Guilds ruled many crafts and trades from the Middle Ages to the Industrial Revolution, and have always attracted debate and controversy.

They were sometimes viewed as efficient institutions that guaranteed quality and skills.

But they also excluded competitors, manipulated markets, and blocked innovations.

Did the benefits of guilds outweigh their costs? Analyzing thousands of guilds that dominated European economies from 1000 to 1880, 'The European Guilds' uses vivid examples and clear economic reasoning to answer that question.