Learning a Craft in 13th-century Paris and the Value of Professional Knowledge

Abstract

The “Book of Crafts” of Paris (Livre des métiers) demonstrates the exceptional variety of highly specialized crafts, the multiplicity of social and professional traditions formed by the 13th century, and the variability of approaches to resolving complex issues of organizing the activities of artisans and merchants in a medieval metropolis. The author singles out the set of information of the “Book of Crafts” about apprentices and vocational training, which was exceptional in terms of volume and content; studies the general quantitative and qualitative characteristics of the set on apprenticeship in the Parisian statutes. The training in the 13th century almost completely included the next stage of professionalization like gaining experience, and the end of apprenticeshipdid not end with a professional test, which sometimes arose when an apprentice became a teacherhimself. The author emphasizes the fundamental value of apprenticeshipin the system of admission to the profession and the exceptional importance of the attitude towards vocational training reflected in the Parisian registers for the history of the medieval craft.