Marriage structure in Bohemia after thirty years´ war

Eva Kacerova, University of Economics , Prague (VSE)
Jiri Henzler, University of Economics , Prague (VSE)

Within Czech historiography the Thirty Years´ War is seen as an economic, social and political watershed. The most important source for information about the structure of the population is represented by one census-like listing, the so-called List of Serfs according to Faith of 1651. It contains information on individual level: name, marital status, position in household, age, confession. Within the context of the debate about a European Marriage Pattern, Bohemia with its high proportion married at early age, is part of Eastern Europe. A low age at marriage is typical for Eastern Europe. But the departure form western European figures are not very pronounced. Marriage age for men and women seems to have been rising in the first half of the 18th century in towns and rural areas. The differences between villages and towns were significant. This article came into being within the framework research project IGA VŠE 15/08.