Those Who Serve: Service, Labor, and Social Hierarchies in Historical Perspective

The workshop examines service as a key social relationship from the medieval period to the twentieth century. Focusing on Central Europe and the Habsburg lands, it brings together early-career researchers to explore forms of dependent labor across households, rural economies, and institutions. Approaching service as more than a category of employment, the workshop highlights its value as an analytical lens that cuts across class, gender, and race. Particular attention is given to rural labor and women’s work, as well as to changing forms of service in the transition from premodern to modern societies.