Learning Guild Practices Apprenticeship in Antwerp from the 15th Century to the End of the Ancien RTgime

Before the advent of a formal schooling system, training took place on the shop floor, under the roof of a master. The apprentice not only worked but also lived in his master's house and was thus trained and educated at the same time. In cities, this system was formally complemented by an official apprenticeship system, prescribing a minimum term to serve and an obligatory masterpiece for those who wanted to become masters themselves. Traditionally, historians see this as an archaic and backward way of training, yet this book's aim is to show that it was instead a very flexible and dynamic system, perfectly in tune with the demands of an early modern economy.De Munck, Bert is the author of 'Learning Guild Practices Apprenticeship in Antwerp from the 15th Century to the End of the Ancien RTgime', published 2007 under ISBN 9782503522708 and ISBN 250352270X.