I did some work and got the statistics to document my impression - illegitimacy rose after 1810 in both of the German villages that I looked at. It seems to me that infant mortality rose as well, but I don't have the numbers on that. Also, to my annoyance, the handwriting also got much worse after 1810. Perhaps there are other explanations for these trends, but the only significant change I could think of was the activities of Napoleon. Anyway, I raise the question in case anyone has information or a theory. village of Weigheim before after year # of births # illegitimate # illegitimate # births year 1780 22 1 2 19 1820 1781 17 1 3 22 1821 1782 15 2 1 19 1822 1783 11 0 1 14 1823 1784 21 1 7 35 1824 1785 15 2 2 14 1825 1786 16 0 5 20 1826 1787 16 1 2 15 1827 1788 14 2 6 21 1828 1789 19 4 3 21 1829 1790 17 1 5 11 1830 1791 17 1 2 24 1831 1792 16 2 5 19 1832 1793 17 3 village of Durchhausen before after year # of births # illegitimate # illegitimate # births year 1780 21 0 4 29 1820 1781 15 0 5 28 1821 1782 28 0 4 23 1822 1783 8 0 1 20 1823 1784 21 0 2 23 1824 1785 17 1 1 19 1825 1786 25 0 3 19 1826 1787 11 0 4 28 1827 1788 21 1 2 19 1828 1789 18 0 5 28 1829 1790 14 2 4 22 1830 1791 20 1 1792 19 1 1793 15 1 Maybe, I should look at the number of marriages in those years. It could be a result of war casualties creating a shortage of potential husbands. The same explanation might account for the infant mortality, a loss of workers leads to a loss of income and an increase in poverty, and that poverty falls hardest on the newborns. As far as handwriting goes, again, it could be that the people are spending too much time studying war to learn proper penmanship. Has anybody seen this in other areas? These villages were far away from any battles. The only casualties would be young men drafted into Napoleon's armies, and I do not know how much of that was done. Probably those battle deaths would not be very well documented. Thomas Koch

I have a book on Switzerland from turn of the century that indicated the dire health hazards due to lack of use of sufficient water as well as cost of water for families. It seems that in Switzerland, there was maybe 10 times the amount of water available. Also within this chapter, it was mentions the abundance of illegitimate children that were left on doorsteps as people were too poor to feed them and care for them. If anyone is interested -- I have transcribed this chapter into a Word document and can either email or post. I also had been told by a genealogist in Switzerland that the many children that died close to birth or at birth -- was due to the lack of sanitary conditions that we have today -- such as dirt floors in their homes. etc. It is amazing to think that this still occurs today for a multitude of reasons. The outbreak of a form of bubonic plague in Navaho country was due to the warm weather and abundance of mice which left mice droppings on the "dirt" floors of some of the hogans. In West Africa, the concept of having many children -- because they can work and help the family -- without thought that you need to feed and clothe all these children -- so many children also left home to find jobs or beg or whatever to survive and perhaps to contribute to the family. My grandmother, who was born in Bavaria, left home when she was 13 or 14 to attend Sunday School and the rest of the time apprentice to become a domestic. I was told that this was very common for children to leave home and go out on their own at that age. Her father died when she was 5 years old and the family was very poor and went to the potato fields to glean what was left after the harvest. Claire ----- Original Message ----- From: "Thomas Koch" <[email protected]> To: <[email protected]> Sent: Wednesday, November 29, 2000 10:04 PM Subject: [GERMAN-LIFE] social decay after Napoleon | I did some work and got the statistics to document my impression - illegitimacy rose after 1810 in both of the German villages that I looked at. It seems to me that infant mortality rose as well, but I don't have the numbers on that. Also, to my annoyance, the handwriting also got much worse after 1810. | Perhaps there are other explanations for these trends, but the only significant change I could think of was the activities of Napoleon. Anyway, I raise the question in case anyone has information or a theory. | | | village of Weigheim | | before after | | year # of births # illegitimate # illegitimate # births year | | 1780 22 1 2 19 1820 | 1781 17 1 3 22 1821 | 1782 15 2 1 19 1822 | 1783 11 0 1 14 1823 | 1784 21 1 7 35 1824 | 1785 15 2 2 14 1825 | 1786 16 0 5 20 1826 | 1787 16 1 2 15 1827 | 1788 14 2 6 21 1828 | 1789 19 4 3 21 1829 | 1790 17 1 5 11 1830 | 1791 17 1 2 24 1831 | 1792 16 2 5 19 1832 | 1793 17 3 | | | village of Durchhausen | | before after | | year # of births # illegitimate # illegitimate # births year | | 1780 21 0 4 29 1820 | 1781 15 0 5 28 1821 | 1782 28 0 4 23 1822 | 1783 8 0 1 20 1823 | 1784 21 0 2 23 1824 | 1785 17 1 1 19 1825 | 1786 25 0 3 19 1826 | 1787 11 0 4 28 1827 | 1788 21 1 2 19 1828 | 1789 18 0 5 28 1829 | 1790 14 2 4 22 1830 | 1791 20 1 | 1792 19 1 | 1793 15 1 | | | | Maybe, I should look at the number of marriages in those years. It could be a result of war casualties creating a shortage of potential husbands. The same explanation might account for the infant mortality, a loss of workers leads to a loss of income and an increase in poverty, and that poverty falls hardest on the newborns. As far as handwriting goes, again, it could be that the people are spending too much time studying war to learn proper penmanship. | Has anybody seen this in other areas? These villages were far away from any battles. The only casualties would be young men drafted into Napoleon's armies, and I do not know how much of that was done. Probably those battle deaths would not be very well documented. | | Thomas Koch | |