ABSTRACT
The study examines the structure of the local government in Baia Mare and the social composition of the ruling elite of the time, supplementing prior research with new archival sources. Utilizing the town book and other written sources, the aim of the research was to determine whether the community of guilds—primarily composed of furriers, tailors, and smiths—constituted the main political force in Baia Mare, as observed in other towns with similar status and privileges in the early modern period. In addition to these professions, the analysis identified two other socio-professional groups involved in the town’s governance, namely miners and the learned. Despite the important role of gold mining in the town’s life, the miners did not manage to convert their economic affluence into significant political capital.
