Invitation to a Lecture by Prof. Dr Margareth Lanzinger: From the House to the Family?

The Institute of Contemporary History warmly invites you to a lecture by Prof. Dr Margareth Lanzinger from the Department of Economic and Social History at the University of Vienna, titled “From the House to the Family? A Critical Reflection on Family Wealth, Marriage and Gender in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries.”

The lecture will take place on Friday, November 20, 2026, at 11:00 AM in the meeting room of the Institute of Contemporary History, Privoz 11, Ljubljana.

The lecture will be held in English.

Lecture Abstract

From the House to the Family? A Critical Reflection on Family Wealth, Marriage and Gender in the Eighteenth and Nineteenth Centuries

A common narrative links the transition from the early modern period to the nineteenth century with a shift in focus from the house to the family. This is associated with changes in the relationships between husbands and wives, between different generations, and between parents and children, as well as within households. A wide range of research has highlighted the diversity and variability of practices, making it difficult to identify generalisable processes of change and transformation. Furthermore, the interplay between house, family, marriage and wealth depends heavily on the respective marital property regime and inheritance model. Surprising continuities sometimes emerge in this regard, even across changing legal systems.

Taking Tyrol, a legal space characterised by the separation of marital property, as an example, this paper examines this interplay by focusing on family wealth and gender in the early modern period and tracing aspects related to the importance of the house in the nineteenth century.

We warmly invite you to join us!