Introduction

The Grand Duchy of Lithuania was one of the largest and most linguistically, ethnically and religiously diverse polities in late medieval and early modern Europe. This volume aims to excavate a level below the largely incompatible national narratives of the successor nations of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth of which the Grand Duchy of Lithuania formed part. Instead, in an encounter with freshly discovered or long-neglected sources, the authors of this book seek new understanding of the Grand Duchy, its citizens and inhabitants in ‘microhistories’. Emphasizing urban and rural spaces, families, communities, networks and travels, this book presents fresh research by established and emerging scholars. The introduction sets out the structure of the book before placing the contributions in the context of the evolving field of microhistory.