Waste Management and Attitudes Towards Cleanliness in Medieval Central Europe

Abstract

The paper deals with the relationships between people and waste in the Middle Ages, primarily in urban environments in Central Europe. At the center of interest are the attitudes of the inhabitants of medieval cities towards cleanliness and a description of different waste management practices. This paper also describes an experiment using ashes to launder clothing as one possible use of a particular waste material.

Journey Through the Past: A Continuity of Ecological Challenges

“…Gradually, a true sustainable city policy is emerging in Europe with regular maintenance of main streets even if they are not without negative consequences: side streets are then intentionally used as open sewers to evacuate wastewater, including faeces (Havlíček et al, 2017). Norway is an interesting case, as traces of an ordinance on cleaning operations in Bergen can be found as early as 1276 (Christophersen, 2023).…”