CITY HALL
- The ‘man in the street’ speaking -
As the city council slowly liberated itself from the dukes’ interference, also the non-elite groups of the urban population became more and more politically aware. Social tension first surfaced in Zoutleeuw in the thirteenth century. In the course of the middle ages, this process regularly took place according to a more or less established pattern: at first, the city council conceded to the wishes of the rebels, but shortly afterwards the concessions were undone because of an intervention of the duke of Brabant. In 1307, for example, the duke took drastic measures to prevent criticasters to go public with their dissatisfaction. Meetings of more than 3 persons were prohibited, while it was no longer allowed to collect money (which often occured in solidarity with partisans, to pay the fines of criticasters collectively). Those who used violence against the duke or the city’s representatives had to surrender arms. All exiles were to remain exiled for all eternity. The crafts, the religious institutions and the hospitals were placed under guardianship of the city council. Although the autonomy of the council increased, this was not at all a democratization process.