A Guide to European Town Directories

Book excerpt: First published in 1997, European Directories is a major resource guide for urban historians and historical geographers. It provides a detailed bibliography of all directories published and available in major libraries throughout Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Denmark and Scandinavia. In addition, the book provides an account of the evolution of town directories, as well as giving an analysis of directory reliability and coverage. Researchers will also find an extensive bibliography for each country of literature that has utilized directory information in historical studies. The second volume includes France and southern Europe. The whole provides the first European-wide resource for those undertaking urban historical studies.