The Black Death or the Black Plague reached Europe in the middle of the fourteenth century. Before Europe, this dreadful pestilence had hit China, India, and Persia. The plague most likely spread via growing trade routes between East and West and later gained strength throughout Europe. Due to poor sanitary conditions and the lack of medical services, the disease killed around 45% of the population in Europe. [1] The plague not only led to people’s suffering but also caused drastic changes in many domains. This essay will deal with the economic and social impacts of the plague in medieval Europe.
First of all, the Black Plague significantly changed the economic system of that period. The labor shortage was the first ramification of the population decline. Therefore, labor as a resource became more valuable, and workers demanded their landlords to raise wages. In England, the aristocracy asked the government for the intervention to hold wages’ upsurge, which ignited peasants’ revolt in 1381. [2] Eventually, more and more ordinary people could afford to buy consumer goods, which spurred economic activity and trade. Urban areas recovered their population faster because there was a need to manufacture goods. In rural areas, there was more land available to grow other types of industrial crops or feed the livestock.
The Black Death disrupted some social norms and even catalyzed the shift to a new period – Renaissance. The level of devastation and fear found its way in visual art. Before the plague, painters used to portray God in an idealistic way. Horrors brought by the disease changed artists’ approaches and motivated them to refer to other themes. They redirected the attention toward the depiction of real life. Since the plague had a recurring nature, it influenced art throughout the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Many well-known artists like Michelangelo and Rembrandt witnessed its outbreaks in Europe. Despite the fear, they managed to celebrate the glory of life and did not focus entirely on the topics of death and sorrow.
The psychological effect of the pestilence shattered common religious beliefs. Roman Catholic Church lost its influence and power as people turned to mystical rituals to protect their families. Moreover, the plague reinforced anti-semitism as Jews were not considered trustworthy due to their isolated life. Consequently, many Jewish communities, for instance, in Mainz and Cologne, were destroyed. [3] This religious persecution segregated society, whereas, on the contrary, unity was needed.
In conclusion, the epidemic took the lives of many people in Europe and left an unforgettable mark on the lives of those who survived. It significantly reshaped the economic system, and even the first signs of the serfdom collapse could be noticed. Terrified by the consequences of the disease, artists turned to realism to express inner pain and concerns. The stability of the religious canons had been challenged as people were searching for safety and tranquility.
References
Cantor, Norman. In the Wake of the Plague. The Black Death and the World it Made. New York: Free Press eBook, 2015.
Freeman, Henry. Black Death. A History from the Beginning to End. Hourly History, 2016.