Abstract
The trajectories of immigrant craftsmen after their arrival in the city, and their
opportunities for establishing themselves in the new urban environment, on which their
integration relied heavily, are two key aspects of my doctoral research on the trajectories
of producers of luxury goods in the cities of Antwerp and Brussels in the late eighteenth
and early nineteenth centuries (ca. 1775 - 1835). In these luxury trades, immigrants often
played a key role when it came to product innovation and the diffusion of technological
know-how.
By using prosopography to reconstruct the trajectories of these craftsmen
(focussing on certain ocupational groups, i.e. gold and silversmiths, jewellers, watch, hat,
and wig makers), I want to gain insight into the factors that were conducive to (or
alternatively, unfavourable for) acquiring a strong economic and social position. This of
course requires an analysis of their career possibilities, but also calls for a study of the
craftsmen's social and family networks.
In this paper I will present my preliminary findings on the marriage patterns of the
immigrant gold and silversmiths in Antwerp and evaluate whether their partner choice
can be considered as an indication of their integration into the receiving society or even as
a well thought-out strategy aimed at professional and/or social advancement.
opportunities for establishing themselves in the new urban environment, on which their
integration relied heavily, are two key aspects of my doctoral research on the trajectories
of producers of luxury goods in the cities of Antwerp and Brussels in the late eighteenth
and early nineteenth centuries (ca. 1775 - 1835). In these luxury trades, immigrants often
played a key role when it came to product innovation and the diffusion of technological
know-how.
By using prosopography to reconstruct the trajectories of these craftsmen
(focussing on certain ocupational groups, i.e. gold and silversmiths, jewellers, watch, hat,
and wig makers), I want to gain insight into the factors that were conducive to (or
alternatively, unfavourable for) acquiring a strong economic and social position. This of
course requires an analysis of their career possibilities, but also calls for a study of the
craftsmen's social and family networks.
In this paper I will present my preliminary findings on the marriage patterns of the
immigrant gold and silversmiths in Antwerp and evaluate whether their partner choice
can be considered as an indication of their integration into the receiving society or even as
a well thought-out strategy aimed at professional and/or social advancement.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Title of host publication | IXth International Conference on Urban History (Lyon, 27th - 30th August 2008) |
| Publication status | Published - 30 Aug 2008 |
| Event | Finds and Results from the Swedish Cyprus Expedition: A Gender Perspective at the Medelhavsmuseet - Stockholm, Sweden Duration: 21 Sept 2009 → 25 Sept 2009 |
Publication series
| Name | IXth International Conference on Urban History (Lyon, 27th - 30th August 2008) |
|---|
Conference
| Conference | Finds and Results from the Swedish Cyprus Expedition: A Gender Perspective at the Medelhavsmuseet |
|---|---|
| Country/Territory | Sweden |
| City | Stockholm |
| Period | 21/09/09 → 25/09/09 |
Keywords
- migration
- immigration
- integration
- marriage patterns
- marriage strategies
- gold and silversmiths
- antwerp
- 18th - 19th centuries