Jenseits von Ost-West:

Abstract

The period between 1648 and 1815 saw an increase in regional disparities throughout the Habs-burg Monarchy. While this was also fostered by the expansion of the Habs-burg dominions at the turn of the 17th to the 18th century, the main causes de-rived from shifting economic activities from mining towards proto-indus-trial textile production. Both domestic market integration and connections to global markets contributed to this development. In contrast to both tra-ditional and current narratives, this article stresses the multiple and com-plex division of labour between core, semiperipheral and peripheral areas in the Monarchy amidst growing regional disparities. Imperial policies that fostered transregional competition supported this process, while discrimina-tory measures as well as the shift of tax burdens towards peripheries caused a growing imbalance of regional development.

Keywords

• Habsburgermonarchie
• regional disparities
• early-modern economy
• proto-industry
• polycentric monarchy
• economic regulation