This unit was developed by Vytautas Volungevičius   Bibliography   Didactic Comments

Information Text   Source Sheet   Worksheet  

Information Text: The 16th Century, Vilnius as a Multicultural Center - City Economy and Domestic Life

When you look at Vilnius in the 16th century, large contrasts in everyday life are clear. This is, of course, also true in all of Europe. For example, Vilnius had a canalization system in the 16th century, yet you also find that there were many houses that didn’t have chimneys and other elementary things, which would now be considered necessary for daily life. In the 16th century city there were several public plumbing wells. This is interesting because the inhabitants of Vilnius never had a problem with respect to water, due to its favorable geographical location and natural conditions. On the other hand, the visitors of Vilnius always stressed the terrible hygiene situation. Travelers also wrote that in the city it was impossible to find a normal soft bed – there were only hard benches or other sleeping accommodations that were also uncomfortable.

Examples such as these point out that in every area of Vilnius life it was possible to see clear contrasts. Travelers described luxurious palaces with posh interiors but wooden slums where families lived with work animals in the same room were also prevalent. The domestic life of Vilnius inhabitants depended on personal social and economic conditions.

Many contemporaries of this time noted that Vilnius was a center of trade where wax, honey, pelts and leather could be found. These commodities were sent to Gdansk (Danzig) or Riga and then overseas. At this time Vilnius had a large multi-ethnic merchant community and was also famous for its fairs. In it’s visitors’ eyes Vilnius looked like a normal European city and regional trade center. We also know about the domestic habits and daily life of Vilnius residents from the stories of travelers who visited the city. Visitors stress that the city dwellers liked to indulge in alcoholic beverages, especially mead, which was made from local honey, as well as beer or wine. And it is well known hat local barflies liked to drink mead and schnapps and that after such revelries the city streets became full of scrimmages and quarrels. At this time, selling selling alcoholic drinks was very lucrative both for the sellers and for the people who issued permits for selling alcoholic beverages.       

As the city developed, the main parts of houses were rebuilt with stone instead of wood. In the 16th century when the Vilnius lower castle was rebuilt, many merchants and craftsmen came to the city. Because of this population growth Vilnius grew and formed new institutions. In this way, 16th century Vilnius gradually became one of centers of the Middle and Eastern European culture and trade.

Definitions

Distinction: A distinction is a difference between two or more things or people. In this text, the term stresses a radical difference in domestic life between the rich and the poor.