On governance structures and maritime conflict resolution in early modern Amsterdam: the case of the Chamber of Insurance and Average (sixteenth to eighteenth centuries)

Abstract

The resolution of commercial conflicts was an important issue for the municipality of Amsterdam. The city’s government realised that commerce and trade could be hampered if commercial disputes were not dealt with quickly and effectively. A special type of commercial disputes centred on marine insurance and general average cases. In order to regulate the adjudication of these disputes, the city founded a specialised court to deal with these intricate cases. The court’s objective was to minimise any uncertainties, advance transparency and thus to further the development and growth of the city’s trade and commerce and in particular, its profitable insurance industry.