Social disciplining in Elbing hospitals in the 17th century

The article undertakes the problematics of rules and range of social disciplining and forming a proper model of behaviour attempted by the city authorities in the instance of urban hospitals in Elbing (Elbląg) of the 17th century.
The following ordinances for the 17th century Elblag hospitals have been analysed in that respect: St. Elisabeth’s from 1617, 1625 and 1651, the Holy Spirit’s from 1631 and 1651 (including the project from around the half of the 17th century), Corpus Christi’s from 1651 and St. George’s from 1657, as well as the ordinance of an orphanage established at St Elisabeth hospital (Kinder‑Haus) from 1698 and two memorial statements of the Hospital Office (Spital‑Amt) dated around the half of the 17th century containing postulates referring to the necessity of introducing changes in the current hospital ordinances.
In effect, various forms of disciplining as well as mechanisms of maintaining social control have been discussed, which comprise the following aspects: 1. forming religious attitudes conforming with the spirit of Lutheran orthodoxy (doctrinal assumptions, religious education basics); 2. disciplining through compulsory religious practices; 3. disciplining through social hierarchy consolidation (prayers in the intention of the City Council, respect for principal authorities, ban on cursing on the authorities or reprimanding alms, complaining about hospital food); 4. disciplining through enforced work; 5. disciplining abnormal moral behaviour (drunkenness, fornication, theft, fraud, gambling); 6. controlling verbal, symbolic or physical aggression; 7. time rationing (strictly normalised day schedules) and space rationing (ban on leaving the hospital, maintaining cleanness in the occupied quarters); 8. shaping expected features of character (godliness, obedience, the ability of coexisting in a group); 9. disciplining verbal behaviour (ban on swearing, making noise, gossiping, disturbing religious practices by talking) and behavioural patterns (ban on dancing and binges).
Also, the system of penalty sanctions issued by hospital authorities against people breaking the ordinance rules has been analysed; moreover, an attempt to reconstruct the hierarchy of social harmfulness of misdemeanours depending on the type of penalties has been undertaken.

The article undertakes the problematics of rules and range of social disciplining and forming a proper model of behaviour attempted by the city authorities in the instance of urban hospitals in Elbing (Elbląg) of the 17th century.
The following ordinances for the 17th century Elblag hospitals have been analysed in that respect: St. Elisabeth’s from 1617, 1625 and 1651, the Holy Spirit’s from 1631 and 1651 (including the project from around the half of the 17th century), Corpus Christi’s from 1651 and St. George’s from 1657, as well as the ordinance of an orphanage established at St Elisabeth hospital (Kinder‑Haus) from 1698 and two memorial statements of the Hospital Office (Spital‑Amt) dated around the half of the 17th century containing postulates referring to the necessity of introducing changes in the current hospital ordinances.
In effect, various forms of disciplining as well as mechanisms of maintaining social control have been discussed, which comprise the following aspects: 1. forming religious attitudes conforming with the spirit of Lutheran orthodoxy (doctrinal assumptions, religious education basics); 2. disciplining through compulsory religious practices; 3. disciplining through social hierarchy consolidation (prayers in the intention of the City Council, respect for principal authorities, ban on cursing on the authorities or reprimanding alms, complaining about hospital food); 4. disciplining through enforced work; 5. disciplining abnormal moral behaviour (drunkenness, fornication, theft, fraud, gambling); 6. controlling verbal, symbolic or physical aggression; 7. time rationing (strictly normalised day schedules) and space rationing (ban on leaving the hospital, maintaining cleanness in the occupied quarters); 8. shaping expected features of character (godliness, obedience, the ability of coexisting in a group); 9. disciplining verbal behaviour (ban on swearing, making noise, gossiping, disturbing religious practices by talking) and behavioural patterns (ban on dancing and binges).
Also, the system of penalty sanctions issued by hospital authorities against people breaking the ordinance rules has been analysed; moreover, an attempt to reconstruct the hierarchy of social harmfulness of misdemeanours depending on the type of penalties has been undertaken.