Abstract
The history of remarriage and stepfamilies is a complex and evolving one, influenced by cultural, social, and legal factors. In addition to emotional feelings, remarriages were often driven by practical considerations such as economic stability, inheritance, and the need for caregiving. In ancient Greece and Rome, remarriage was common after the death of a spouse. From the medieval period to early modern Europe, remarriage after divorce or widowhood was influenced by religious beliefs and societal norms. The Industrial Revolution led to urbanization and changing family dynamics and thus, changing attitudes towards divorce and remarriage emerged during the twentieth century. The changed legal environment in many countries made divorce more accessible, leading to an increase in remarriages and stepfamilies. Cultural shifts also influenced perceptions of stepfamilies, in effect strengthening their acceptance at the end of the century.
The history of remarriages and stepfamilies therefore reflects changes in societal norms, legal environments, and cultural attitudes. Furthermore, it also reflects ongoing efforts to address the changing dynamics of family structures in different eras. These changes are presented and analyzed in Remarriage and Stepfamilies in East Central Europe, 1600–1900, edited by Gabriella Erdélyi and András Péter Szabó. Through ten studies, the book presents the remarriage conditions, customs, and complex dynamics of the resulting stepfamilies in the context of East-Central Europe over three centuries. Thanks to Erdélyi and Szabó's careful work as editors, the English-language studies written by 11 authors aim to present to the reader, through in-depth research, the historical, social, and cultural factors that influenced the formation and life of the stepfamilies of the era, in a carefully structured order. The volume is part of research work spanning Europe, which examines the relationship between families and stepfamilies, and its pages contain significant research results that shed more light on previous results and may have an impact on future work.
The book is built following a complex societal and temporal structure. In addition to familiarizing readers with the topic, they can get to know the works of the authors through short summaries, before delving into the subject through two larger parts. By engaging with the book, readers are introduced to families belonging to different religious groups and social classes across East-Central Europe.
In the first part, the authors analyze the demographic changes of stepfamilies using quantitative data, pointing out how different trends can be seen across different smaller regions in the same country. This work takes into account the cultural differences inherent to different religions and nationalities. Alice Velková in her study presents the so-called ‘chain-marriage’ which is the process of a new stepfamily forming after the death of a previous stepfamily's member, thereby becoming a ‘living organism’ which is in a state of continuous change. The study co-authored by Marzena Liedke and Piotr Guzowski presents us with the noble classes of the Polish-Lithuanian Union, including their remarriage customs compared to Western Europe. Árpád Tóth presents the demographic prerequisites of the formation of stepfamilies by analyzing the evangelical community of Pressburg (Bratislava), with special focus on the societal roles and career opportunities available for children raised in these families. Péter Őri analyzes the effects of family on these children in eighteenth and nineteenth-century Zsámbék, while Sándor Lakatos chooses to focus on the marriage customs of Transylvanian families.
The studies found in the second part of the book present the connection systems of stepfamilies reflected in ego documents. Gabriella Erdélyi shows us the expected mother and daughter roles and relationships between stepsiblings in the modern age through Kata Váradi's correspondence with her two daughters born from different marriages. Ágnes Máté uses the analysis of the evangelical neo-Latin wedding poems to shed light on people of the era's relationships towards death and remarriage customs. While András Péter Szabó presents a thorough analysis of the economic, societal, and cultural effects of the family structure changes during seventeenth-century Transylvania, Andrea Fehér's study delves into the structure of stepfamilies through the autobiographies and written documents of eighteenth-century Transylvanian nobles. In addition to written documents, Constanta Vintila utilizes visual sources—namely the votive paintings of wealthy families of the Romanian Principalities—to present these stepfamilies’ dynamics and their representations during the mid-nineteenth century.
These studies utilize a wide range of primary sources, including official documents, church records, diaries, personal correspondence, wedding songs, and church votive paintings. Through these sources, the authors reconstruct the complex reality of stepfamilies in a period when remarriage, due to early mortality, was a common phenomenon. The studies delve into various aspects of remarriage and the lives of stepfamilies, such as the motivations for remarriage, the challenges faced by stepmothers and stepfathers, the relationships among stepsiblings, inheritance disputes, as well as the role of religion and society in shaping these families.
One important strength of this book is its integration of macro-contexts with individual narratives, allowing readers to understand the broader social context and thus the personal stories of widows remarrying, stepfamilies, and the children living in these families. By examining these family structures, the volume not only enriches our understanding of family dynamics but also provides insight into gender roles, inheritance practices, and the social norms and customs prevalent in East Central Europe during this period. The authors provide a balanced portrayal of the complexities within these relationships. They avoid excessive generalizations and highlight the diversity of remarriages and stepfamilies, taking into account differences in social status and in religious and cultural practices. Thus, the volume offers a nuanced perspective that goes beyond stereotypes and “Cinderella effects,” namely evil stepmother myths.
Remarriage and Stepfamilies in East Central Europe, 1600–1900 makes a valuable contribution to the field of historical research, enhancing our understanding of an important, yet understudied area of family history. The wording of the studies is captivating and readable, making it recommendable even in the absence of a Hungarian translation. The language used is varied while avoiding the excessive use of specialized terminology. The descriptions are easily comprehensible not only for the academic audience but also for general readers interested in family history.