From Peasant Society to Class Society

In the parish of Belm, Northwest Germany, population trebled between 1650 and 1830, but the number of peasant holdings remained stable. A new class of people without real property came into existence. Protoindustrialization in the form of linen production supplemented incomes from agriculture. This article outlines social differentials in demographic behavior and household structure. It looks at social mobility and the selection of mates. Furthermore, it explores the economic and non-economic ties that bound together propertied and propertyless families. Finally, it asks how important kinship was for propertied peasants and for landless people. It suggests that kin relationships across classes or within class may have been a factor relevant in the formation of classes.