A Two-Tiered Demographic System: "Insiders" and "Outsiders" in Three Swabian Communities, 1558-1914

Timothy Guinnane and Sheilagh Ogilvie

Working Papers from Economic Growth Center, Yale University

Abstract: This paper presents first results from a project to reconstitute the demographic behavior of three villages in Württemberg (southern Germany) from the mid-sixteenth to the early twentieth century. Using high-quality registers of births, deaths, and marriages, and unusual ancillary sources, we improve on the family-reconstitution techniques pioneered by Louis Henry and applied to good effect by the Cambridge Group and other scholars. This paper focuses on simple, standard demographic measures, in order to provide a broad overview and support comparisons with other places. An extreme system of demographic regulation operated in these Württemberg communities until around 1870. This regulation created a two-tiered demographic system. A group of “insiders” were able to marry, and experienced both high marital fertility and high infant and child mortality. A second group, of “outsiders”, were prevented from marrying. Many, especially the males, left the community; those who stayed contributed to growing illegitimacy and associated levels of infant and child mortality that were even higher than for the offspring of “insiders”.

Keywords: fertility; mortality; nuptiality; European marriage pattern; institutions; community; politische Ehekonsens; Germany; Württemberg; proto-industry (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: J12 J13 K0 N33 O17 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Pages: 67 pages
Date: 2013-01
New Economics Papers: this item is included in nep-dem, nep-evo and nep-his
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (2)

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Related works:
Working Paper: A Two-Tiered Demographic System: "Insiders" and "outsiders" in Three Swabian Communities, 1558-1914 (2013)
Working Paper: A Two-Tiered Demographic System: "Insiders" and "Outsiders" in Three Swabian Communities, 1558-1914 (2013)
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Persistent link: https://EconPapers.repec.org/RePEc:egc:wpaper:1021

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