Chapter 5. Entering the reproductive phase of life: first marriages in Zsámbék, Hungary (1720–1945)

Abstract

Family is a social institution ensuring the demographic reproduction of populations. It starts with the creation of a stable partnership, in the past almost exclusively a marriage according to prevailing norms. Thus, this ritual generally began the demographic reproduction in historical societies, at least in Europe where the first marriage and first birth were close in time (Lundh, Kurosu, 2014). Consequently, marriage customs had a direct impact on population development. The frequency of marriages and the time spent in marriage significantly affected fertility. The percentage ever married was closely related with the level of fertility, whereas the timing of marriages affected marital fertility by determining the length of women’s reproductive phase together with the frequency and timing of widowhood and remarriages. Besides, marriage can be considered one of the key turning points in the life course. Even if it is not identical with becoming adult or leaving the parental household for a new with more independence, it is a considerable step in this direction. In this paper we analyse the frequency and timing of first marriages (and to some extent the characteristics of first births) in the Hungarian village (Zsámbék) between the 18th century and WWII. Our goal is to better understand the determinants of first marriage at the individual level and in the longer run. In order to achieve this goal, we use longitudinal family reconstitution data from the Roman Catholic parish registers of the village, and analyse these data using event history models (Cox regression; Cleves, Gould, Gutierrez, 2004).