| Summary
| | In the course of the 13th century the first towns in the Sound region and an increasing trade with food came into existence. The Scanian market and the market towns in the Sound became the centre.
The period was also marked by the changes in the social structure and the tremendous decrease in population in connection with the plague (the Black Death) in the middle of the 14th century. |
The thrall system was abolished successively and instead the work was done by copyholders. The new cultivations ceased and stagnation arose in the production of agricultural products. An ecological crisis brought with it hard times. The plague raged in the second half of the 14th century. The Scanian market in Falsterbonäset flourished thanks to the large intake of herring in combination with great demand.
A hierarchical feudal society was built with privileges for the noble. The royal power tried to strengthen its position through an expansive policy and through the improvement of the fortifications the Sound region. In spite of this the royal power was weakened in the 14th century. In this connection Scania was turned over to Sweden for a while. Valdemar Atterdag got Denmark back on its feet, but came into conflict with the Hanseatic towns.
Many monasteries developed into big business. The ecclesiastical art started to describe the situation of man and man´s needs instead of the earlier motives of God´s glory and omnipotence. |