Textiles in seventeenth- and eighteenth-century probate inventories from Styria (Austria): innovation and distribution

This paper focuses on the inhabitants of the duchy of Styria, the inhabitants of small towns, market towns, the capital Graz and rural dominions. There is a particular emphasis on local merchants who were distributors of fabrics and final products. Their probate inventories allow us to gain insights into the products that were locally available and are often regarded as best source for research into changes in consumer habits. Cotton and silk are important indicators of such changes. The article is based on probate inventories covering the period from around 1660 to around 1790, along with several examples from before and after this period. The core of the research database is nearly 1,140 probate inventories from the monastery of Seckau, around 110 from the city of Graz, and another 234 from other Styrian towns, market towns, and dominions. Despite the relatively large number of sources, the study follows a historical-anthropological approach.