The research compared organized crime networks in the highly urbanized Dutch province of Holland with criminals in the more rural province of Brabant. It noted that the Dutch Republic had an exceptional number of major towns located near one another and connected by roads and waterways, as well as a countryside that was densely populated and dominated by towns from a very early period. The analysis revealed that the urban crime network in the province Holland had connections among urban areas, an organizational pattern of overlapping networks, and a tendency toward specialization. Criminal groups were also highly organized in the more rural province of Brabant. These rural groups were much more prone to violence than were their urban counterparts. Findings indicate that organized crime in preindustrial Europe was more varied than suggested by the dual model of rural bands and urban underworlds. Findings also support the opinion that violence was more commonly associated with the countryside than with the city in premodern society. Reference notes