Life, Death, and Migration in the Early Modern City

Erscheinungsjahr 2026
ISBN: 978-1-009-64151-7
Verlag: Cambridge University Press

Buch, Englisch, 304 Seiten, Format (B × H): 157 mm x 235 mm, Gewicht: 594 g

In this rich study of early modern Würzburg, Jan de Vries reconstructs the demographic life of a pre-industrial city. Utilising modern demographic techniques, he analyses data about thousands of families between 1696–1711 and examines every stage of the life course from infancy, leaving home, marriage and fertility, to widowhood, remarriage, and mortality. Close study of a single German city allows for special attention to be paid to differences of social class and migrant status, and de Vries emphasises the critical role of migrants to the make-up of the urban community. This new interpretation allows for the Sharlin theory and other questions concerning marriage choice, fertility control, and mortality risks to be tested. At every stage, de Vries compares the findings for Würzburg to those of other cities in Germany and Europe, developing existing generalisations, and contributing to a better understanding of urban historical demography.

Autoren/Hrsg.

de Vries, Jan

Inhaltsverzeichnis

1. Introduction; 2. Würzburg and its census; 3. The dynamics of an urban population; 4. Testing the Sharlin Thesis; Appendices; Bibliography; Index.

Über Autor(innen)

de Vries, Jan
Jan de Vries is Emeritus Professor of History and Economics at the University of California at Berkeley. He is author of The Industrious Revolution, The First Modern Economy (with Ad van der Woude), and European Urbanization, 1500–1800.