Projekt „Vermögen als Medium der Herstellung von Verwandtschaftsräumen vom 16. bis zum 18. Jhd.“; Margareth Lanzinger, Matthias Donabaum, and Janine Maegraith (Web)

Time: 15.-17.09.2022
Venue: University of Vienna
Registration due 14.09.2022: margareth.lanzinger@univie.ac.at

Programme (PDF)

In this workshop the organizers would like to address aspects concerning socio-economic practices around debts. They are particularly interested in opportunities and risks people took with secured and un-secured, short-term and long-term debts, and in the resulting balancing acts.

First, the organizers want to examine forms and logics of incurring debts, whether debts were formally or informally documented and if and how they were brokered. Regarding different kinds or agreements we will chart the effects of (life) annuities, mortgage debts, pledges and guarantees. Second, looking at specific stipulations the organizers want to find out whether dates of repayments and/or interest rate payments were settled; whether universal or specific hypothecary securitization was common; whether lending was for investments, for consumption or repayment of other debts. Third, in terms of personal relation-ships we examine possibilities and problems connected with lending inside and outside family and kin. Finally, they ask what modes of repayment and/or restructuring of debt – via exchange, pur-chase, etc. – can be traced in the sources.

Particular focus will be placed on inheritance shares, marriage portions or dowries as debts and their effects: how were such family debts carried further and how were they transferred? Were they paid out and if so how? What consequences did they have compared to other debts? Who was liable for which debts? What gender-specific impact does this question have? It is the goal to look at family debt – often ‘hidden’ or underestimated in historiography – in conjunction with commercial and consumer debt. Read more and source … (Web)