The project aims to form a new understanding of taverns in early modern Finland. This is done by studying taverns as a part of their local communities and focusing on the people who worked in and guested the tavern. The objective is to provide a more comprehensive picture of taverns as places for work and sociability and bring international discussions on early modern taverns to Finnish historiography.
Taverns have been described as a microcosmos in early modern Europe. They reveal the most important features and key developments of the period: not only the expanding power of the church and the state but also the traditional and changing ways of travel, social life, and economics. However, early modern tavern life has mostly been neglected in Finnish historiography. Previous studies have not included the taverns’ unique ability to meet the needs for trade, work and social life, all important themes in contemporary international research. This project addresses this gap by focusing on the people working in and guesting the tavern.
The three-year-project is run by Dr. Jenni Lares and funded by Jalmari Finne Foundation.
Goal
More complete picture of taverns in Finland will add a peripheral perspective to international discussions in tavern studies and the history of drinking. After the study, we know what the practices of running and guesting a tavern were. A more comprehensive understanding of one of the key operators in early modern society will result in more translocal understanding of rural life as well as a widened perspective on the tavern altogether.
Impact
After the project, there will be easily accessible and up-to-date information on early modern taverns in Finland, which has previously been available only in Finnish and as a sidenote to the history of roads and traffic. The project will also offer concrete tools for the study of taverns for heritage professionals and history enthusiasts alike.
Funding source
People
Jenni Lares
Grant Holder, Post Doc Research
Jenni Lares