Zwischen Pluralismus und Vereinheitlichung – Quellenperspektiven für die Geschichte des Arbeitsrechts

Abstract

This article outlines fundamental characteristics of labour law sources regarding their mediality in the premodern and modern era. It argues that labour law sources were initially characterised by informal normativity, which influenced the forms of communication used by labour regulations. This was evident at various levels in the intertwining of law and work ethics, which viewed people as status-dependent service providers. The replacement by abstract categories of employees who are, in principle, in need of protection is seen as a central step towards modern labour law, which was accompanied by a change in language that in turn shaped the character of the sources and their institutional surrounding.