ABSTRACT
With regards to the evolution of law in the countries of Central Europe, regulated credit markets began to emerge during the 14th century. Based on a historical analysis of legal books, codifications, and other legal sources, specifically the laws of nobility and municipal laws, this chapter describes the development of legal regulation of the credit market in the medieval and early modern Czech lands. For a better contextual understanding, legal attitudes are compared with the opinions of influential theologians and representatives of contemporary economic thought. Finally, the chapter considers the connection between Czech law and foreign legal systems, with Roman law on the one hand, and the law of several other countries of Central Europe on the other. While the final codification of municipal law diverged from non-domestic legal systems, Roman law was incorporated as an integral part of Czech law. Moreover, it built the legal framework for a definition of the credit market towards the end of the premodern period.
