Regional Mountain Conference

The historical region of Tyrol has always been a transit area. In particular during the Middle Ages, transalpine traffic of people and goods played a major role. This fostered — compared to other regions — an above-average development of the hospitality industry, which became one of the most important economic sectors in many towns. As central sites of provision, communication, and the exercise of power, inns and hospices also shaped the social fabric of medieval Tyrol, both in urban and rural contexts. Despite their significance, the taverns of medieval Tyrol have so far been insufficiently studied.

This dissertation systematically examines, for the first time, the taverns and hospitality sector of the Middle Ages in the central Alpine region, thus addressing a major research gap. Its aim is a comprehensive analysis from social, cultural, economic, and legal-historical perspectives. The first part traces the diachronic development of taverns. The second part focuses on the operator groups as well as the function of inns as sites of everyday practices, positioned between encounter and conflict. In addition, their economic significance, the legal framework of the trade, and selected aspects of cultural history are examined.

Methodologically, the study is based on the combined analysis of different types of sources, including travel reports, registers, and normative texts, especially Weistümer. Taverns are interpreted as complex, multifunctional spaces, making visible both structural developments (spatial dynamics) and concrete contexts (spaces of action and regulation).

By focusing on innkeepers and taverns as independent social and economic actors, the study opens new perspectives on previously under-researched areas, particularly rural spaces and non-noble population groups, and broadens the view of everyday, social, and economic history.