Under the premise that local history can illuminate aspects of the past in ways that few works of broad historical synthesis can ever hope to equal, Christopher Friedrichs draws a comprehensive portrait of the small German city of Nordlingen during a turbulent century and a half of early modern history. In doing so he explores the transition from a traditional to a modern way of life. Originally published in 1980. The Princeton Legacy Library uses the latest print-on-demand technology to again make available previously out-of-print books from the distinguished backlist of Princeton University Press. These editions preserve the original texts of these important books while presenting them in durable paperback and hardcover editions. The goal of the Princeton Legacy Library is to vastly increase access to the rich scholarly heritage found in the thousands of books published by Princeton University Press since its founding in 1905.