Marriage strategies in Poland: social and spatial differences (16th-18th centuries)

Abstract

In recent years Polish historiography has observed an increasing interest in the functioning of the family in the past. Nevertheless, present knowledge of the issue still seems relatively insufficient. This paper is an attempt to present the circumstances of family creation rather than its functioning and failure. We aim to emphasise some social, religious and territorial differences concerning families between 16th-18th centuries in the kingdom of Poland, which was the 5th biggest country in Europe before the partitions (1772-1795). Doing this, we want to approach our ancestors’ marriage strategies, their material status and other factors influencing them. On the basis of parish and judicial registers are presented the age of newly-married couples, their previous marital status and their social and territorial background. The analysis of the last mentioned aspects over those 300 years should give us an idea of the extent to which parish borders were crossed when choosing a partner.