ABSTRACT
The social and political consequences of the war changed the character of town life in Germany and the conditions under which people lived. Its merchants imported and distributed colonial and other goods in Germany and played an important role in exporting the products of the Silesian linen industry; the fortunes of many families in the city were founded on this profitable trade. The Thirty Years War was long regarded by historians as directly responsible for a century and a half of economic decline or stagnation, particularly with regard to town life. The consequent prosperity of the town was reflected in the civic amenities and the homes of its merchants. Even in the towns which were the seat of territorial princes, the craftsmen and their apprentices remained numerically the largest social group. Most towns had a hostel specifically for the wandering craftsmen, where the newly arrived could also inform themselves of the type of work and master in the area.
