De Hoogstraat in de laatmiddeleeuwse Brabantse steden

Enkele beschouwingen over stadstopografische overeenkomsten en verschillen

Samenvatting

The Hoogstraat (High street) in the Towns of Late Medieval Brabant. Some Thoughts on Topographic Similarities and Differences

Local studies focusing on urban landscapes of the past very often emphasize the particula- rities and uniqueness of a specific urban topography. Old cities and towns indeed diverged widely, yet they were also very similar. However, general models and theories that explain topographic differentiation and genericity remain quite scarce, especially because scholars often lack the tools, the time, and the expertise to undertake in-depth comparative topo- graphic research. This article considers the case of the so-called Hoogstraat (High street), a late medieval street name that existed in various towns of late medieval Brabant, and uses it as a starting point for the development of a methodological framework and further reflections upon late medieval topographic similarities and differences between (parts of) these towns. Obviously, every town had its particular Hoogstraat, with a specific location, morphology, destinations, buildings, et cetera. Yet, in most cases the same ‘chain’ of topographic phenomena can be found: most Hoogstraten were exit roads, leading from market places via town gates to important destinations outside the town. In these cases, the street name reflected the importance of the street. This small case study shows that in-depth comparative research can shed light on the tension between the uniqueness and the genericity of former topographic phenomena and can suggest explanatory models for the topographical patterns in old towns and cities.