A comprehensive Analysis of European craft guilds through eight centuries of Economic history Guilds ruled many crafts and trades from the Middle Ages to the Industrial Revolution, and have always attracted debate and controversy.
Did the benefits of guilds outweigh their costs? Analyzing thousands of guilds.
But they also excluded competitors, manipulated markets, and blocked innovations.
They were sometimes viewed as efficient institutions that guaranteed quality and skills.
A comprehensive Analysis of European craft guilds through eight centuries of Economic history Guilds ruled many crafts and trades from the Middle Ages to the Industrial Revolution, and have always attracted debate and controversy