Widows: Outsiders in rural economy and society in central European villages, 1558-1750

This paper will address the position of widows in rural society. It will analyze land transfer contracts for three individual villages of the Northern Bohemian estate of Frýdlant between 1558 and 1750 and contrast the results with normative sources of the same estate. It will particularly deal with the question whether widows could work subject farms and holdings independently and how they secured livelihood after selling their properties.