Beschreibung
Shadow economies and irregular work are not new phenomena. Before the
rise of the modern welfare state, there was already a broad range of
diverse economic activities which were regarded as irregular, though not
necessarily illicit. Although they constituted an important part of
economic life, such irregular and informal practices have not yet been
studied more closely and from a comprehensive perspective in modern
historical research. The articles in this volume explore multifaceted
aspects of informal economies and irregular work in European cities from
the 16th to the early 20th centuries. The volume thus contributes a
historical perspective to ongoing debates about the crisis of the modern
labour society and the relationship between (informal) work, public
welfare and the state.
Philip R. Hoffmann-Rehnitz is research assistant at the University of
Muenster
Thomas Buchner is Post Doc researcher at the University of Vienna
(ERC-project „The Production of Work“)
